Press Release: 2024-11-22

U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss Announces Launch of Pro-Housing "YIMBY" Caucus to tackle Affordable Housing Shortage

 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Scott Peters (CA-50), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Marc Molinaro (NY-19), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), and Chuck Edwards (NC-11) announced the launch of the pro-housing “Yes In My Back Yard” (YIMBY) Caucus to promote the development of housing nationwide. The YIMBY movement focuses on encouraging new housing development, removing barriers to the construction of new homes, and investing in the infrastructure needed to unlock more affordable and walkable neighborhoods nationwide. The U.S. housing supply shortage, which sits between 4 and 7 million units, deprives young Americans of a strong start, pushes Americans into homelessness, and squeezes seniors on a fixed income. The co-chairs of this caucus will work to address these challenges at the federal level and convene regularly with local and state leaders who determine the bulk of housing policy. 

“The cost of housing is the greatest economic challenge facing Massachusetts. The answer: build more housing,” said Rep. Auchincloss. “At all levels of government, Americans need permitting & land use reforms that unlock more housing production.” 

“San Diego is consistently one of the most expensive places to live in the country, and far too many people in our community cannot afford a home or are pushed into homelessness,” said Rep. Peters. “Back in 2018, I was one of the founding members of the San Diego Democratic YIMBY Club when it was a fledgling movement, and I am honored to be a founding Co-Chair of this effort in Congress. This caucus will be essential for fostering pro-housing growth policies that lower costs, help people achieve the dream of home ownership, and create vibrant, walkable, and transit-connected communities.”

“The cost of rent is far too high. We must act to expand affordable housing options,” said Rep. Garcia. “This is a long-term, structural problem requiring us to take bold steps to create the new homes our community needs. Embracing YIMBY-ism, building more housing units, and embracing mixed-use zoning will increase our housing supply and drive down costs for Americans. We need to get more ambitious with proposals to speed up housing production, including offering more financial incentives for states and local governments that welcome new construction.”

“Across the country, people are suffering under the weight of ever-higher housing costs,” said Laura Foote, Executive Director of YIMBY Action. “Our national housing shortage is pushing people down into poverty, away from opportunity, and throws a wet blanket on our economy. Building more housing near jobs has the ability to uplift millions of Americans and rebuild the middle class. We’re thrilled that a decade of YIMBY activism has led to this moment, and we’re grateful to the bipartisan leaders tackling America’s housing shortage head on.”

“The lack of housing supply and housing affordability are a national crisis affecting every region of our country,” said Laura Arce, Senior Vice President, UnidosUS. “We need comprehensive and commonsense solutions to build more types of housing in more places. UnidosUS commends the establishment of the YIMBY Caucus and stands ready to support its work to create a housing market that works for all families.” 

“The exclusionary land use regulations that caused California’s housing shortage and affordability crisis are not unique to California -- and the housing crisis has spread to every jurisdiction that copied California’s approach,” said Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY. “We need strong, pro-housing leadership at all levels of government to bring back the American dream of affordable homeownership, and to give renters a break on their housing costs. The creation of the bi-partisan House YIMBY caucus sends a powerful message: We must remove the barriers to housing abundance.”

 “America’s affordable and homelessness crisis demands urgent action by all levels of government to address its two main causes: the severe shortage of homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes and the wide gap between incomes and housing costs,” said Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “I applaud Representatives Robert Garcia (D-CA), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Scott Peters (D-CA), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Marc Molinaro (R-NY), and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) for creating the bipartisan YIMBY caucus to help advance housing solutions at the scale needed to help end this crisis once and for all.”

“BPC Action applauds Reps. Robert Garcia (D-CA), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Scott Peters (D-CA), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Marc Molinaro (R-NY), and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) for creating and co-chairing the bipartisan House YIMBY Caucus,” said Michele Stockwell, President, BPC Action. “At the heart of today’s housing affordability crisis is the acute shortage of affordable rental homes and entry-level homeownership options. We look forward to engaging with the YIMBY Caucus to identify common sense federal, state, and local actions that could be taken to ease regulatory barriers to increase our nation’s housing supply.”

“A critical shortage of apartment homes at all price points continues to impact communities across every corner of our country,” said National Apartment Association (NAA) President and CEO Bob Pinnegar. “Following an election where housing was at the forefront of conversation, now is the time for bold, bipartisan action. NAA applauds the formation of the Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Caucus and looks forward to collaborating on sustainable solutions that boost housing supply and improve affordability for generations of renters to come.”

“State and local leaders across the country, from both political parties, are taking significant steps to ease restrictive regulations that limit housing growth,” said Alex Armlovich, Niskanen Center Senior Housing Policy Analyst. These efforts span various areas, including zoning and land use rules, permitting processes, procedural reviews, and multifamily building codes. The launch of the bipartisan House YIMBY Caucus marks a watershed in Congress’s recognition of the housing shortage and the need for stronger federal support to bolster state and local initiatives. Niskanen Center’s housing team applauds the founding YIMBY Caucus members—and looks forward to collaborating on innovative, bipartisan solutions to address the housing crisis.”

“As voters in the recent election cycle made clear, we need real solutions to our nation’s housing affordability crisis,” said Sharon Wilson Géno - President, NMHC.?”People on both sides of the aisle agree that we need to build more housing in communities across the country to ensure greater affordability and opportunity for all.?NMHC is proud to support the creation of the bipartisan YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) Caucus. We look forward to working with the caucus to enact actionable solutions that will result in more housing choices for all Americans.”