The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that calls for changes by localities that promote high-density residential zoning and thus more affordable housing development.
The Yes In My Backyard Act, HB 4351 doesn't mandate any affordable housing development or zoning, it stipulates that places receiving block grants from the federal government track and report their pro-housing policies. It also encourages localities to allow manufactured housing in places zoned for single-family houses, the addition of duplexes in such places, and to make other pro-affordable housing changes. The bill comes at a time of affordable housing agitation, with advocates calling for a litany of measures to deal with the problem, including unprecedented federal intervention in the form of national rent control. There is a shortage of 7 million affordable housing units nationwide, the National Low Income Housing Coalition reports.
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Quote:
A BILL
To require certain grantees under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to submit a plan to track discriminatory land use policies, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Yes In My Backyard Act”.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to discourage the use of discriminatory land use policies and remove barriers to making housing more affordable in order to further the original intent of the Community Development Block Grant program.
SEC. 3. LAND USE PLAN.
(a) In General.—Section 104 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5304) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(n) Plan To Track Discriminatory Land Use Policies.—
“(1) IN GENERAL.—Prior to receipt in any fiscal year of a grant from the Secretary under subsection (b), (d)(1), or (d)(2)(B) of section 106, each recipient shall have prepared and submitted, not less frequently than once during the preceding 5-year period, in accordance with this subsection and in such standardized form as the Secretary shall, by regulation, prescribe, with respect to each land use policy described in paragraph (2) that is applicable to the jurisdiction served by the recipient, a description of—
“(A) whether the recipient has already adopted the policy in the jurisdiction served by the recipient;
“(B) the plan of the recipient to implement the policy in that jurisdiction; or
“(C) the reasons why the recipient has not adopted the policy in that jurisdiction.
“(2) LAND USE POLICIES.—The policies described in this paragraph are as follows:
“(A) Enacting high-density single-family and multifamily zoning.
“(B) Expanding by-right multifamily zoned areas.
“(C) Allowing duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes in areas zoned primarily for single-family residential homes.
“(D) Allowing manufactured homes in areas zoned primarily for single-family residential homes.
“(E) Allowing multifamily development in retail, office, and light manufacturing zones.
“(F) Allowing single-room occupancy development wherever multifamily housing is allowed.
“(G) Reducing minimum lot size.
“(H) Reducing the number of buildings protected by historic preservation.
“(I) Increasing the allowable floor area ratio in multifamily housing areas.
“(J) Creating transit-oriented development zones.
“(K) Streamlining or shortening permitting processes and timelines, including through one-stop and parallel-process permitting.
“(L) Eliminating or reducing off-street parking requirements.
“(M) Reducing impact and utility investment fees.
“(N) Allowing prefabricated construction.
“(O) Reducing or eliminating minimum unit square footage requirements.
“(P) Allowing the conversion of office units to apartments.
“(Q) Allowing the subdivision of single-family homes into duplexes.
“(R) Allowing accessory dwelling units, including detached accessory dwelling units, on all lots with single-family homes.
“(S) Legalizing short-term home rentals.
“(T) Legalizing home-based businesses.
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