Providing Safe, Affordable Housing for Every American
Congressman Garcia also believes that housing is a human right, and we have a moral obligation to ensure every one of our residents has access to homes that are safe and affordable. He knows it’s critical for us to invest in not only shelter, but supportive services and permanent housing for people who are unhoused. Congressman Garcia also believes we must redouble efforts to assist residents who are housing insecure. This is a long-term, structural problem and it requires us to take bold steps to create the new homes our community needs—especially along our transit corridors and job centers.
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Congressman Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) on Monday reintroduced the People Over Parking Act, a federal bill aimed at easing the nation’s housing crisis by eliminating mandatory parking minimums in local zoning laws.
Garcia unveiled the legislation during the first event of the Congressional Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Caucus in the 119th Congress. The proposal seeks to reduce construction costs and encourage the development of residential, retail, and commercial spaces in walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) reintroduced the People Over Parking Act to coincide with the first Congressional Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Caucus event in the 119th Congress. This legislation would eliminate mandatory parking minimums in local zoning laws and promote the construction of new and affordable residential, retail, industrial, and commercial developments.
Although U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D) has only served in Congress since 2023, the representative for California’s 42nd Congressional District quickly emerged as a rising star in the Democratic Party who has become known as an especially outspoken critic of President Donald Trump since his return to the White House in January.
House members aligned with the YIMBY — or Yes in My Backyard — movement are launching a first-of-its-kind, bipartisan caucus to help advance their case that America’s housing shortage is largely due to local regulations that make it too difficult to build new homes.
Led by California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the YIMBY Caucus is set to launch today with 25 members who agree on one key concept: that the solution to America’s affordable housing problem is to accelerate production.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) announced the launch of the pro-housing Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) Caucus to promote the development of affordable housing units nationwide. The YIMBY movement focuses on encouraging new housing development, removing barriers to the construction of new homes, and investing in the critical infrastructure we need to address the affordable housing crisis.
The Congressional Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) Caucus will promote the development of housing across the country. The YIMBY movement focuses on encouraging new housing development, removing barriers to the construction of new homes, and investing in the critical infrastructure we need to address the affordable housing crisis. Supply shortages of housing units contribute to rising costs that perpetuate America’s housing crisis, leaving millions of Americans without access to safe and affordable homes.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert announced that the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded a $350,000 grant to the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office (LBCPO) to improve communication and information sharing between law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices to better support people experiencing homelessness, mental health, and substance issues in Long Beach.
Washington, D.C. – This week, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) co-led the Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act (H.R. 9644) with Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), Young Kim (CA-40), and Brittany Pettersen (CO-07). This bipartisan proposal expands the legal definition of “chronic homelessness” to make sure that more people experiencing homelessness can access the resources they need to get back on their feet.
Long Beach, like many other cities in California and across the country, is facing a housing crisis that is largely due to not building enough new homes. Most cities have lagged behind for decades, leaving a deficit that will require building thousands of new homes.
And although a supply oriented approach to the problem has been controversial in some places, cities are seeing results when it is implemented. In Minneapolis and Austin, rents fell after local governments ushered in new rules allowing the construction of more apartments.