Bipartisan Bills Introduced to Increase Affordable Housing Construction
This week, the Yes In My Backyard Act (YIMBY) was reintroduced simultaneously in the House by Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN) and in the Senate by Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Brian Schatz (D-HI). The bill would seek to remove discriminatory land use policies and eliminate barriers that depress the new production of affordable housing. The proposed legislation would achieve these goals by requiring local governments applying for federal housing development funds through the Community Development Block Grant to report periodically on the extent to which they are removing discriminatory land use policies and implementing inclusive and affordable housing options. The bill would also seek to increase transparency in land use, zoning, and housing decisions; sheds light on exclusionary polices; and ultimately encourages localities to play a constructive role in solving the housing crisis by eliminating barriers to much-needed housing. encouraging communities to play a constructive role in solving the housing crisis. The bill passed the full House and was referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs in the previous Congress. NAHMA will continue to support the legislation as it moves forward in the new Congress.
To view the YIMBY full bill text, click here.
To view Representative Trey Hollingsworth’s press release regarding the reintroduction of YIMBY, click here.
In the Senate, the bipartisan Housing Supply and Affordability Act was introduced recently by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH). The bill would authorize $1.5 billion for federal grants to local governments that commit to increasing their supply of local, affordable housing, to be distributed over the next five years. The legislation would address the affordable housing crisis by giving localities resources to overcome obstacles to new construction, such discriminatory zoning regulations. Eligible local governments , including regional coalitions, would be able to apply for grants that would be used to develop local housing plans that commit to removing barriers to construction while avoiding displacement of current residents by new developments. The grants will be awarded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and will be divided into two primary silos; one for planning grants to help local leaders design their housing policy plans and implementation grants to help local leaders put their plans into action. Applicants that pledge to increase housing near places of employment and transit would take priority. The Housing Supply and Affordability Act broadly falls in line with the goals of HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, who identified barriers to housing as one of her top priorities. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for further consideration.
To view the Housing Supply and Affordability Act full bill text, click here.
To view Senator Amy Klobuchar’s press release on the Housing Supply and Affordability Act, click here.
President Biden Meets with Lawmakers to Discuss Infrastructure Proposals
This week, President Biden continued negotiations with congressional leadership and Senate Republicans in the hopes of reaching a bipartisan deal on an infrastructure package. However, major hurdles persist over what items would be in the measure, and how it might be paid for. On Wednesday, President Biden hosted the four top Senate and House leaders in the Oval Office in an effort to jumpstart discussions on steering an infrastructure measure through Congress. Prior to his meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), President Biden stated he was open to compromising across the aisle to reach a deal. After that discussion, however, Senator Mitch McConnell and Representative Kevin McCarthy made clear that there are several key points on which they are unwilling to concede or compromise, including the 2017 tax cuts. President Biden has proposed raising corporate taxes to pay for his infrastructure plan. Another point of contention was how to define “infrastructure.” Republicans want to keep a narrow scope, limiting spending to physical projects like roads and bridges, while Democrats seek to allocate some of the proposed funding to clean energy and to social issues like home- or community-based care for the elderly and people with disabilities.
On Thursday, the President met with the top Republicans on committees overseeing spending, infrastructure, or transportation issues. After meeting with Senators Shelley Capito (WV), John Barrasso (WY), Roy Blunt (MO), Mike Crapo (ID), Patrick Toomey (PA) and Roger Wicker (MS), President Biden said the conversation had not yet led to any concrete compromises, but that he had outlined to the Republican leadership his ambitions for the package’s scope and source of funding. The Republican Senators left the White House feeling “encouraged” about the path forward, and said negotiations would continue. The meetings this week seemed to be an indication that, despite significant divisions in Congress and concerns about President Biden’s multi-trillion dollar infrastructure proposal, it may still be possible to have a bipartisan agreement on some of the key provisions of the $2.3 trillion infrastructure bill.