YOUNG COLUMN: What is the biggest fix the U.S. needs when it comes to housing policy?

The following column by U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) was published by NOTUS on October 31, 2025.

Increase available housing by cutting regulations.

Sen. Todd Young (R-IN)

U.S. Senate

Our country needs to increase the supply of available housing for Americans of all income levels.

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.

Local municipalities ultimately have the right to set housing policy, but taxpayers deserve more information on how these policies affect them.

I’ve introduced the Identifying Regulatory Barriers to Housing Supply Act to encourage local communities to cut burdensome regulations, promote more housing options and bring a new level of transparency to the community development process.

The legislation would require recipients of federal Community Development Block Grant dollars to report on whether they have already adopted less burdensome land use policies or submit a plan for implementing these policies. It conditions federal funds on transparency regarding the rationale for choosing whether to remove or reform harmful land use 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.

Republican Sen. Todd Young represents Indiana in the U.S. Senate.