North Indy News

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) has called for increased housing supply by reducing regulatory barriers. In a column published by NOTUS, Young emphasized the need to make more housing available for Americans across all income levels.

He pointed to local zoning and land use policies as key obstacles, stating that these regulations often increase housing costs and limit mobility for families and workers. "Yet, too often, our communities build paper walls of regulation that prevent the construction of new homes. These burdensome local zoning and land use policies drive up the cost of housing and stifle the mobility of families and workers," Young wrote.

While acknowledging that local governments have the authority to set their own housing policies, Young argued that taxpayers should be better informed about how these rules impact them.

Young introduced the Identifying Regulatory Barriers to Housing Supply Act, which aims to encourage localities to reduce restrictive regulations and promote more diverse housing options. The proposed legislation would require recipients of federal Community Development Block Grant funds to report on their adoption of less restrictive land use policies or submit plans detailing how they intend to implement such changes. It also ties federal funding to greater transparency about decisions related to removing or reforming problematic regulations.

"By encouraging more transparency from cities, towns and rural areas — without encroaching on the rights of states and localities — this bill will better ensure communities do their part to increase housing supply and make housing more affordable," Young stated.

Senator Young represents Indiana in the U.S. Senate.