Yes in God's Backyard Act

The Yes in God's Backyard Act would provide federal funding and support to help faith-based organizations, colleges, and local governments increase affordable housing. Specifically, the bill would offer technical assistance to churches, synagogues, and other religious institutions that want to develop affordable rental housing on land they already own. It would also help local governments learn how to remove zoning and other barriers that currently prevent these organizations from building housing.

The bill would establish a competitive grant program to reward communities that adopt policies making it easier for faith-based organizations and colleges to develop affordable housing. Eligible uses of grant funds would include assessing and removing local policy barriers, providing technical assistance to religious organizations and universities, and making grants or loans to specific housing projects. The legislation is designed to address the nation's housing affordability crisis by unlocking underutilized land owned by religious institutions and educational organizations that could be converted into affordable rental units where monthly rent does not exceed 30 percent of household income.