HR6957-119

What This Bill Does

The Yes in God's Backyard Act amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to create a new HUD subtitle for affordable rental housing on property owned by faith-based organizations and institutions of higher education. It defines affordable rental housing as rent no more than 30 percent of household income for households at or below 100 percent of area median income, and includes homeless, at-risk, extremely low-income, disability, intergenerational, and special-needs housing categories. HUD must establish a technical assistance program for faith-based organizations, colleges and universities, and local governments covering use of excess property, preservation of existing affordable housing, resident services, development partners, land lease or sale issues, equitable access, and local barrier removal. HUD must consult the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships plus USDA, Treasury, HHS, and other housing-related agencies. The bill authorizes $25 million for fiscal year 2026 and $10 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for technical assistance. It also creates a $50 million annual competitive challenge-grant program for States, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and multi-jurisdiction entities with policies designed to remove barriers to affordable housing on faith-owned and higher-education-owned property. Applicants must publish proposed plans, solicit public comments, address those comments in final plans, and report data to HUD for monitoring and evaluation.

Who Benefits and How

Faith-based organizations and colleges benefit because HUD technical assistance helps them convert excess land or preserve affordable housing while navigating development partners, leases, ownership, resident services, and federal assistance. Local governments, States, metropolitan planning organizations, and multi-jurisdiction entities benefit from challenge grants when they remove zoning, procedural, or policy barriers. Low-income families, homeless veterans, people with disabilities, intergenerational families, and other special-needs households benefit if the program creates housing in well-resourced areas of opportunity.

Who Bears the Burden and How

HUD program staff must design technical assistance, consult other federal agencies, run competitive grants, monitor grantee performance, evaluate outcomes, and enforce the 10 percent administrative cap. Grant applicants must demonstrate barrier-removal policies, prepare applications, publish plans, solicit public comments, address comments in final plans, comply with HUD reporting, and manage oversight costs. Faith-based property owners and universities may face legal, financing, community-engagement, land-use, and long-term affordability compliance work if they participate. Federal taxpayers fund the appropriations.

Key Provisions

• Establishes a HUD technical assistance program for affordable rental housing on faith-owned and higher-education-owned property.
• Authorizes $25 million for fiscal year 2026 and $10 million per year from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for technical assistance.
• Creates a $50 million annual challenge-grant program for eligible State, local, metropolitan, and multi-jurisdiction applicants.
• Requires challenge-grant applicants to publish plans, solicit public comments, and address those comments in final applications.
• Directs grant preferences toward housing for families below 60 percent of area median income, extremely low-income families, homeless households, veterans, people with disabilities, intergenerational families, and special-needs populations.