Yes in My Backyard

Book Summary: State governments, in partnership with cities and other local jurisdictions, can and should do more to promote housing development and choice through smarter local land use policies and incentives, according to Yes in My Backyard.

Rising housing costs are creating hardships for millions of U.S. households and taking a toll on economic growth—a problem made worse by local zoning and land use regulations and development review processes that impede affordable housing development, the report explains. While municipalities have more autonomy in some states than in others, states do have significant power to affect these regulations. However, the report notes, relatively few states have seized opportunities to deploy their authority and resources to help localities plan for and accommodate housing development through land use and zoning policies.