Indiana senator’s ‘Yes in my Backyard’ bill sheds light on discriminatory land use & zoning policies

When it comes to community development, you may have heard about the “Not in my backyard” or NIMBY phenomenon. It is a plea often made by homeowners in an area to prevent the development of projects or housing perceived to threaten the area’s property value.

As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates housing stock shortages across the U.S., Sen. Todd Young (R-Indiana) has found that NIMBY mindsets and policies can prevent cities from developing inclusive, mixed-income neighborhoods and affordable housing stock the market needs.

Calling affordable housing a “first-order priority,” Young briefed journalists in the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative about his “Yes in My Backyard” bill, which would require local planners to report when they are implementing historically discriminatory land use and zoning policies.

Catch the full story on WANE-TV’s website.

Input Fort Wayne is a founding member of the newly formed Fort Wayne Media Collaborative, a group of northeast Indiana media organizations and affiliated institutions supported by the Knight Foundation, under the guidance of the New York-based Solutions Journalism Network. The Collaborative has launched a year-long project to report and produce stories focused on the housing crisis that has had disastrous effects for many northeast Indiana residents. Learn more at fwmediacollaborative.com.