Americans for Prosperity, a prominent grassroots organization, has called on representatives to support the Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act, also known as H.R. 3507. This legislation was introduced in the House by Representatives Derek Kilmer and Mike Flood. The act proposes that localities receiving Community Development Block Grants must submit plans to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to monitor restrictive zoning policies.
The YIMBY Act aims to discourage discriminatory land use policies and enhance housing affordability through increased transparency in the grant program. "Removing barriers to land use and zoning regulations is vital to Americans," states Americans for Prosperity.
These regulations have been prevalent since the early 20th century and have significantly impacted housing availability and costs. They affect various aspects such as home mortgage prices, rental prices, housing density, commute lengths, transportation access, demographics, and more.
The organization highlights that burdensome regulations make housing expensive and hinder economic growth. Despite a decrease in households spending over 30% of their income on housing recently, nearly half of renter households still exceed this threshold. More than 18 million American households spend over half their income on housing expenses.
Some scholars estimate that land use regulation reduces U.S. GDP by 1.5% annually due to insufficient housing construction in key metropolitan areas.
"The YIMBY Act is a step in the right direction," says Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Americans for Prosperity. The group urges support for H.R. 3507 to address these issues effectively.
This vote will be included in Americans for Prosperity's legislative scorecard available online at AFPscorecard.org.
Sincerely,
Brent Gardner
Chief Government Affairs Officer
Americans for Prosperity
