Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2026
Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov
Reps. Barragán and Brown Introduce Bill to Open Door for Faith-Based Organizations and Institutions of Higher Education to Build Affordable Housing
Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Shontel Brown (OH-11) announced the Yes in God’s Backyard Act, legislation designed to address the nation’s housing crisis by empowering faith-based institutions and institutions of higher-education to build affordable housing on underused land they already own.
The bill will unlock new housing opportunities in communities facing severe housing shortages and rising homelessness. Across the country, housing costs continue to climb while the number of available homes falls far short of demand. At the same time, faith-based institutions and institutions of higher education — often among the largest landholders in their communities — are frequently blocked from building affordable housing because of outdated zoning rules, lengthy permitting processes, and limited access to technical expertise.
The growing Yes in God’s Backyard (YIGBY) movement offers a solution rooted in local leadership. By empowering trusted community institutions to use their land for affordable housing, YIGBY helps meet urgent needs while strengthening neighborhoods.
“Across the country, communities are facing unprecedented housing shortages and growing homelessness,” said Congresswoman Barragán. “Faith-based organizations and institutions of higher learning want to step up and help address the housing crisis, but too often they’re held back by outdated rules and unnecessary red tape. We need every possible tool to expand affordable housing—that’s why this bill puts trusted community partners at the center of the solution and gives local governments the tools they need to remove unnecessary barriers and build homes people can afford.”
“We need to use every tool we have and work with every partner we have to lower housing costs. Because the last thing any working family should have to worry about is finding a safe and affordable place for their children to lay their heads at night. The YIGBY Act helps religious institutions address the housing crisis and cut through the red tape so that we can remove the barriers, lower the cost of housing, and expand the options Americans have. I’m proud to partner with Congresswoman Barragan on this legislation to lower housing costs and help religious institutions serve their communities,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.
“The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is grateful for Rep. Barragán’s leadership in introducing the Yes in God’s Backyard Act”, said Nicole Williams, Executive Director, LISC Los Angeles. “We’ve seen firsthand the increasing challenges families are facing with rising housing costs in our communities. At the same time, many faith-based organizations have expressed a desire to mitigate the housing crisis by developing affordable housing on their land. The Yes in God’s Backyard Act would provide flexible resources to support the development and preservation of affordable housing, ultimately increasing housing options in the communities we serve.”
States and cities are already showing what can happen when these barriers are removed. In California, SB 4allows qualifying faith institutions and higher education institutions to build 100 percent affordable housing by right. As a result, at least 80 congregations in Los Angeles alone are now exploring housing development on their property. Similar efforts are underway or being considered in New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, Minnesota, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, and New Jersey, signaling growing national momentum behind this approach.
The Yes in God’s Backyard Act would extend this progress nationwide by:
– Offering technical assistance to faith-based organizations and institutions of higher education seeking to use existing land to expand or preserve affordable rental housing;
– Providing technical support to local governments to share best practices and streamline the development of affordable housing on faith and university property; and
– Establishing challenge grants to reward communities that adopt policies removing barriers to affordable housing on these sites.
The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of national organizations, including NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), United Church of Christ, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) Los Angeles, LeadingAge, Enterprise Community Partners, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, National Housing Conference, and True Ground Housing Partners.
Original cosponsors of the bill are Reps. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Danny Davis (IL-07), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03).
The full text of the bill can be found HERE.
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