Yes in My Backyard Act

Floor Speech

I rise in support of H.R. 4351. This bipartisan legislation would require localities to analyze the artificial barriers that local zoning requirements create that hinder the production of affordable housing.

Republicans agree with our friends across the aisle that the cost of local zoning rules and regulations at all levels of government often contribute to the high cost of housing. In fact, according to the National Association of Home Builders and the National Multifamily Housing Council, up to 30 percent of the cost of building each unit of housing can be attributed to these barriers.

The impact of local zoning and regulatory barriers is particularly apparent in high-cost areas, particularly on the East and West Coasts of this land, where zoning and regulatory costs can be upward of 50 percent of a total project's cost before it even breaks ground.

Mr. Daryl Carter, founder, chairman, and CEO of Avanath Capital Management, outlined some of these zoning barriers on behalf of the National Multifamily Housing Council when he testified before the Financial Services Committee in April 2019. Examples include onerous and extended entitlement requirements, excessive impact and linkage fees, business license taxes, assessment and inspection fees, outdated minimum parking requirements, and lengthy environmental site assessments.

These costs prevent sufficient numbers of new housing units from being built to satisfy demand, driving up housing prices and making housing even more unaffordable.

It is important to reiterate that this bill doesn't punish communities or insert the Federal Government into any local zoning matters. All it does is requests localities that receive Federal community development funds to report on the policies that they have in place.

This legislation is a good first step in assisting Congress to better understand these local barriers to constructing new affordable housing.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to add my thanks to Congressman Heck and Congressman Hollingsworth for their leadership on this. It really draws attention to this issue. It is an issue that comes up before our committee so frequently, how we lower that cost of housing.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friend from Washington also emphasizing first-time home buyers and that starter home buyer. It is so important.

I am blessed in greater Little Rock to live in a place that is still pretty affordable, by national standards, to get that first home and get started in the right way.

But I think, to look at it on a national basis, I really thank my friend from Washington.

Mr. Speaker, I have to say, though, he is such a young and dynamic person, I have never thought of him as a boomer. This Congress will be a weaker place, a less happy place, because Denny Heck has decided to step down and return to hearth and home and another way after this Congress. I want to say here before his friends and our colleagues what a privilege it has been to serve with him for the past 5 years.

I thank him for the leadership on this bill. I thank my friend from Guam for managing this effort.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to thank Mr. Heck and Mr. Hollingsworth for their leadership on this important bipartisan bill, as well as Mr. Hill for managing this on the floor with me.

This bill is a constructive next step to help reduce the barriers to producing affordable housing, and that is something that every American can get behind.

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