Policy analyst Ryan McKinless explains Floridas two YIGBY approaches and what they mean for Broward County
June 27, 2026 | Broward County, Florida
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Ryan McKinless, a policy analyst with the Florida Housing Coalition, told the Broward Housing Council that Florida now has two separate "Yes in Gods Backyard" (YIGBY) pathways: an optional local-authority tool enacted in 2025 and a state-mandated expansion included in House Bill 1389.
"There are two different kinds of YIGBY in the state of Florida," McKinless said, opening a detailed comparison of the laws. He said the optional tool (Senate Bill 1730) lets local governments approve affordable housing on land owned by a religious institution regardless of existing zoning, provided the development meets minimum affordability thresholds and any locally required conditions.
Under the optional tool, McKinless said, at least 10% of units must be affordable at or below 120% of area median income (AMI) as a statutory floor, but local governments may require deeper affordability or longer affordability terms by local ordinance. The optional approach, he said, can apply to smaller parcels, allow single-family or multifamily housing and is broadly flexible on tenure and development standards.
By contrast, McKinless said the mandatory expansion in HB 1389 is an extension of the states Live Local Acts land-use mandate and applies only to qualifying sites. "For mandatory YIGBY, the parcel has to be larger than 3 acres, the house of worship must have been active for at least 10 years, and at least 40% of the homes must be affordable at or below 120% AMI," he said. Because it extends Live Local entitlements, qualifying projects would be allowed multifamily and mixed-use housing by right and could use the same density, height and parking relief and streamlined administrative approvals that Live Local provides.
McKinless emphasized the practical differences for local officials. He said optional YIGBY preserves local discretion on affordability levels, unit types and approval processes, while the state mandate imposes a narrower set of eligibility rules and a higher affordable-unit floor. "We don't want local YIGBY work to get lost in the shuffle now that there's this mandatory YIGBY," he said, arguing the optional tool remains useful where mandatory criteria would not apply.
He also presented county-level mapping and an interactive map his team developed. McKinless reported that more land in Broward County would qualify under the local option than under the state mandate, and he offered to share slides and datasets with council staff. He encouraged jurisdictions seeking to enact local ordinances to study early-adopter examples he cited, including Melbourne, St. Petersburg and Orange County.
The presenter fielded no substantive questions during his time and provided contact information and the slide deck for follow-up. Staff said the materials would be distributed to council members.
"There are two different kinds of YIGBY in the state of Florida," McKinless said, opening a detailed comparison of the laws. He said the optional tool (Senate Bill 1730) lets local governments approve affordable housing on land owned by a religious institution regardless of existing zoning, provided the development meets minimum affordability thresholds and any locally required conditions.
Under the optional tool, McKinless said, at least 10% of units must be affordable at or below 120% of area median income (AMI) as a statutory floor, but local governments may require deeper affordability or longer affordability terms by local ordinance. The optional approach, he said, can apply to smaller parcels, allow single-family or multifamily housing and is broadly flexible on tenure and development standards.
By contrast, McKinless said the mandatory expansion in HB 1389 is an extension of the states Live Local Acts land-use mandate and applies only to qualifying sites. "For mandatory YIGBY, the parcel has to be larger than 3 acres, the house of worship must have been active for at least 10 years, and at least 40% of the homes must be affordable at or below 120% AMI," he said. Because it extends Live Local entitlements, qualifying projects would be allowed multifamily and mixed-use housing by right and could use the same density, height and parking relief and streamlined administrative approvals that Live Local provides.
McKinless emphasized the practical differences for local officials. He said optional YIGBY preserves local discretion on affordability levels, unit types and approval processes, while the state mandate imposes a narrower set of eligibility rules and a higher affordable-unit floor. "We don't want local YIGBY work to get lost in the shuffle now that there's this mandatory YIGBY," he said, arguing the optional tool remains useful where mandatory criteria would not apply.
He also presented county-level mapping and an interactive map his team developed. McKinless reported that more land in Broward County would qualify under the local option than under the state mandate, and he offered to share slides and datasets with council staff. He encouraged jurisdictions seeking to enact local ordinances to study early-adopter examples he cited, including Melbourne, St. Petersburg and Orange County.
The presenter fielded no substantive questions during his time and provided contact information and the slide deck for follow-up. Staff said the materials would be distributed to council members.
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