YIMBY vs. NIMBY in Washington: Four Federal Bills That Could Nudge Local Zoning

WASHINGTON, D.C. — May 8 2025

Housing rarely gets bipartisan love on Capitol Hill, yet 2025 feels different:

1. Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act – requires CDBG‑funded cities to report 22 anti‑exclusionary reforms; unanimously cleared House Financial Services last week. newdemocratcoalition.house.gov
2. Build More Housing Near Transit Act – boosts transit‑grant scores for agencies that up‑zone station areas.
3. Housing Supply Frameworks Act (S. 1299) – would fund local code rewrites tied to housing‑production targets.
4. Build Housing with Care Act (H.R. 646 / S. 310) – $10 million grants for projects that co‑locate child‑care facilities and housing.

What’s at stake

• A national “zoning dashboard” could publicly shame hold‑out suburbs.
• Grant carrots, not federal sticks—so opposition from local‑control conservatives is muted.
• Timing: leadership hopes to bundle at least two bills into the fall infrastructure mini‑bus; Senate Banking has a hearing slated for late June.

For builders & buyers
Even modest federal nudges can speed approvals in jurisdictions hungry for grant dollars. If your city eyes CDBG or transit funds, watch for 2026 compliance deadlines—they could open tracts now zoned single‑family only.