I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6957 
To provide technical assistance and grants for faith-based organizations, insti-
tutions of higher education, and local governments to increase the supply 
of affordable rental housing, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 7, 2026 
Ms. BARRAGA´N (for herself and Mr. OBERNOLTE) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To provide technical assistance and grants for faith-based 
organizations, institutions of higher education, and local 
governments to increase the supply of affordable rental 
housing, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Yes in God’s Backyard 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS FOR FAITH- 
BASED ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS OF 
HIGHER EDUCATION, AND LOCAL GOVERN-
MENTS TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO AND IN-
CREASE THE SUPPLY OF AFFORDABLE RENT-
AL HOUSING. 
Title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable 
Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12721 et seq.), is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘Subtitle G—Technical Assistance 
and Grants for Faith-based Or-
ganizations, 
Institutions 
of 
Higher Education, and Local 
Governments to Remove Bar-
riers and to Increase the Supply 
of Affordable Rental Housing 
‘‘SEC. 290. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this subtitle: 
‘‘(1) AFFORDABLE
RENTAL
HOUSING.—The 
term ‘affordable rental housing’ means housing 
available to the public charging a monthly rent that 
is not more than 30 percent of household income of 
a covered household. 
‘‘(2) AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.—The term 
‘at risk of homelessness’ has the meaning given the 
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‘‘(8) PARTNERSHIP CENTER.—The term ‘Part-
nership Center’ means the Center for Faith-Based 
and Neighborhood Partnerships in the Office of the 
Secretary or any successor office. 
‘‘SEC. 291. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a pro-
gram to provide technical assistance to assist faith-based 
organizations, institutions of higher education, and local 
governments in order to remove barriers to the production 
and preservation of affordable rental housing on property 
owned by faith-based organizations and institutions of 
higher education. 
‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—The program established under 
subsection (a) shall consist of resources related to— 
‘‘(1) understanding how excess property owned 
by faith-based organizations and institutions of high-
er education can be developed into affordable rental 
housing and how existing affordable rental housing 
can be preserved; 
‘‘(2) the development and preservation of af-
fordable rental housing on property owned by faith- 
based organizations and institutions of higher edu-
cation, including— 
‘‘(A) housing for households at or below 60 
percent of area median income; 
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‘‘(B) housing for individuals and families 
who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, in-
cluding veterans; 
‘‘(C) accessible rental housing for individ-
uals with disabilities; 
‘‘(D) housing for intergenerational families 
under section 203 of the LEGACY Act of 2003 
(12 U.S.C. 1701q note); 
‘‘(E) housing for other special needs popu-
lations as determined by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(F) housing that would increase equitable 
access to well-resourced areas of opportunity; 
‘‘(3) Federal assistance for affordable rental 
housing production and preservation, including in-
formation on federally assisted rental housing pro-
grams, and services for residents; 
‘‘(4) best practices in the housing development 
and preservation processes, including selection of de-
velopment, preservation, and management partners, 
considerations regarding land lease, ownership, or 
sale ensuring equitable access to housing, and other 
considerations; 
‘‘(5) best practices for State and local govern-
ments to remove barriers to and encourage the pro-
duction of affordable rental housing, especially in 
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well-resourced areas of opportunity, on property 
owned by faith-based organizations and institutions 
of higher education; and 
‘‘(6) any other areas as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION.—In developing technical assist-
ance and other resources under this section, the Secretary 
shall consult with the Partnership Center and other Fed-
eral agencies administering affordable housing and related 
programs, including the Departments of Agriculture, the 
Treasury, and Health and Human Services. 
‘‘(d) DISSEMINATION.—The resources described in 
subsection (b) shall be made publicly available. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section— 
‘‘(1) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and 
‘‘(2) $10,000,000 each of fiscal years 2027 
through 2031. 
‘‘SEC. 292. CHALLENGE GRANTS TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO 
AND INCREASE AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUS-
ING SUPPLY ON PROPERTY OWNED BY FAITH- 
BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS 
OF HIGHER EDUCATION. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE GRANTEE.—The term ‘eligible 
grantee’ means— 
‘‘(A) a unit of general local government; 
‘‘(B) a State; 
‘‘(C) a metropolitan planning organization; 
and 
‘‘(D) a multi-jurisdiction entity, as defined 
by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) STATE; UNIT OF GENERAL LOCAL GOV-
ERNMENT.—The terms ‘State’ and ‘unit of general 
local government’ have the meanings given those 
terms in section 102 of the Housing and Community 
Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302). 
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a Challenge Grant program to make grants on a com-
petitive basis to eligible grantees that have policies in ef-
fect that are designed to remove barriers to the production 
and preservation of affordable rental housing on property 
owned by faith-based organizations and institutions of 
higher education. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity desiring a 
grant under this section shall submit to the Sec-
retary an application at such time, in such manner, 
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and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require. 
‘‘(2) OTHER REQUIREMENTS.—In order to re-
ceive a grant under this section, an applicant shall— 
‘‘(A) demonstrate that the applicant has 
policies in effect designed to remove barriers to 
the production or preservation of affordable 
housing on property owned by faith-based orga-
nizations and institutions of higher education, 
as determined by the Secretary; 
‘‘(B) make publicly available a proposed 
plan for use of a grant under this section and 
solicit comments on the plan; and 
‘‘(C) address the disposition of public com-
ments described in subparagraph (B) in a final 
plan submitted to the Secretary as part of the 
grant application. 
‘‘(d) PREFERENCE.—In making awards under this 
section, the Secretary shall give preference to applicants 
that propose to use the grant to produce or preserve— 
‘‘(1) affordable rental housing for families with 
incomes below 60 percent of area median income, as 
determined by the Secretary in well-resourced areas 
of opportunity; 
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‘‘(2) affordable rental housing for extremely 
low-income families; 
‘‘(3) affordable rental housing or non-con-
gregate emergency housing for individuals and fami-
lies who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, in-
cluding veterans; 
‘‘(4) affordable and accessible rental housing 
for individuals with disabilities; 
‘‘(5) affordable rental housing for intergenera-
tional families under section 203 of the LEGACY 
Act of 2003 (12 U.S.C. 1701q note); or 
‘‘(6) affordable rental housing for other special 
needs populations as designated by the Secretary. 
‘‘(e) ALLOWABLE USES.—An eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under this section shall use grant funds to 
carry out 1 or more of the following activities pertaining 
to the removal of barriers to and encouraging the produc-
tion and preservation of affordable rental housing on prop-
erty owned by faith-based organizations and institutions 
of higher education: 
‘‘(1) Assessing and removing local policy and 
procedural barriers to and adopting best practices to 
encourage the development of affordable rental hous-
ing under this section. 
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‘‘(2) Outreach to and technical assistance for 
faith-based organizations, institutions of higher edu-
cation, and other community partners to facilitate 
production and preservation of affordable rental 
housing. 
‘‘(3) Making grants and loans to projects that 
produce or preserve affordable rental housing under 
this section. 
‘‘(4) Such other activities that will further the 
purposes of this subtitle, as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(f) REPORTING AND DATA COLLECTION.—A grant-
ee under this section shall submit such information as the 
Secretary may require in order to monitor, assist, and 
evaluate the performance of the grantee and program 
under this section. 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031. 
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
COSTS.—Of the funds 
authorized to be appropriated under paragraph (1), 
not more than 10 percent may be used by the Sec-
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retary for administering the grant program estab-
lished under this section.’’. 
Æ 
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