The $1.7 trillion spending bill approved by Congress earlier in December includes a significant first: $85 million in discretionary grant funding for local governments to remove obstacles to housing development.
Congress passed a $1.7 trillion spending bill on December 20, sending the bill onto President Biden for a signature. The New York Times provides news coverage of the bill’s approval and CNN provides details of what’s included in the bill.
One program of particular interest to planners, the bill includes $85 million for a new U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) planning incentive program advocated by the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and National Apartment Association. According to an article by Paul Bergeron for Globe St, the “Yes In My Back Yard” program is designed “to help localities eliminate exclusionary policies, zoning and density restrictions, onerous parking requirements and other regulations.”
“The grant program will help fund efforts by local communities to update their zoning codes and community engagement to remove obstacles to affordable housing production and preservation,” adds Bergeron.
A statement by the NMHC describes the new grant program as the first federal YIMBY policy that will be enacted into law. U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Indiana) first introduced the Yes In My Backyard Act into Congress in 2019.
According to another article by Christian Britschgi for Reason, the YIMBY Act gained support from the Biden campaign in 2020, but also again after the Biden administration entered office. “In its Housing Supply Action Plan from May 2022, the White House also said it would retool discretionary transportation grant programs (worth a collective $6 billion) to incentivize liberalizing zoning reforms,” according to Britschgi.
Britschgi does caution that the $85 million in funding for the new program is unlikely to produce much progress on zoning reform.
“For starters, the bill would provide money to jurisdictions for identifying and removing barriers to affordable housing production. Once given, the money could be spent on improving "housing strategies," implementing "housing policy plans," and facilitating affordable housing production,” writes Britschgi.
“Taken together, that sounds like the program would pay jurisdictions just for drawing up plans for improving housing production, an approach that some housing economists have argued is ineffective.”
FULL STORY: A First: NIMBY-Opposition Funds Included in Congress' Annual Funding Bill
The Maine City Setting the Gold Standard for Pro-Development Zoning Reforms
Auburn, Maine, a city of 20,000 residents, has plans to add enough housing to increase its population by 25 percent by 2025.
White House Announces Plans for 100,000 Affordable Homes
The Biden administration has proposed a suite of policy and funding programs designed to create and protect 100,000 affordable housing units. If successful, the program will still fall well short of the need.
Former San Diego Mayor Leaves Pro-Development Politics Behind for Recall Race
While Mayor of San Diego, Republican Kevin Faulconer made a name for himself as a prominently YIMBY politician. He's abandoned those views now that he's running for Gov. Gavin Newsom's spot in the state's recall race.
The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.
Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.
Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.
Tacoma Developing New Housing Policy
The city’s Home in Tacoma plan is designed to address the region’s growth and rising housing prices, but faces local backlash over density and affordability concerns.
Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
Orange County Project Could Go Forward Under ‘Builder’s Remedy’
The nation’s largest home builder could receive approval for a 530-unit development under an obscure state law as the city of La Habra’s zoning laws hang in limbo after the state rejected its proposed housing plan.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
