'Yes in My Back Yard Act' Introduced in the U.S. Senate

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Indiana) has introduced a new law that picks sides in the housing debate, though the law is unlikely to produce structural change in the development process the near future.

June 25, 2019, 10am PDT | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

Brendt A Petersen

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A press release from the office of U.S. Senator Todd Young announced the introduction of the "Yes In My Back Yard Act" [pdf] late last week, aiming "to shed light on discriminatory land use policies, encourage localities cut [sic] burdensome regulations, and bring a new level of transparency to the community development process."

To achieve that effect, the YIMBY Act "would require Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) recipients to go on the record with why they are not adopting specific pro-affordability and anti-discriminatory housing policies," according to the press release.

The adoption for the YIMBY moniker by a Republication lawmaker at the national level isn't unprecedented. U.S. Housing and Development Department Secretary Ben Carson has adopted YIMBY stances on several occasions. Senator Young has also shown support for federal housing programs in the past.

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Young Introduces Yes In My Backyard Act to Encourage Communities to Cut Regulations and Increase Housing Supply

Published on Thursday, June 20, 2019 in Senator Todd Young