Commentary: Republicans Rein in Biden’s Local Zoning Scheme

In the 2024 transportation and housing appropriations bill, House Republicans are once again poised defund a bid by the federal government to take over state and local zoning laws via a Department of Housing and Urban Development regulation to condition $3.3 billion of community development block grants on changes to those zoning laws.

Appearing in section 233, the new bill, to be voted on this week by the U.S. House, updates the language to reflect the most recent regulation in whack-a-mole fashion: “None of the funds made available by this 24 Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce the proposed rule entitled ‘Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing’ published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Federal Register on February 9, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 8516), or to direct a grantee to undertake specific changes to existing zoning laws as a part of carrying out the interim final rule entitled ‘Restoring Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Definitions and Certifications’ published by such Department in the Federal Register on June 10, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 30779).”

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