Bloomington South senior starts housing advocacy chapter called YIMBY-ana

When it comes to housing policy discussions, there are two distinct and contrasting attitudes towards development, often characterized as YIMBY and NIMBY.

The YIMBY “yes, in my backyard” movement is focused on advocating for infrastructure development, affecting public housing policy, public transportation, real estate development, and combatting housing affordability challenges.

In March, Bloomington High School South senior Kyle Davis established a Bloomington/Indiana YIMBY chapter, known as YIMBY-ana, to amplify diverse perspectives on housing policy in Bloomington.

Davis cited a lack of representation as his motivation. “Essentially, I didn’t see anyone advocating for YIMBYs in Bloomington. I think there is a very loud minority of NIMBYs in Bloomington, especially amongst some of the more suburban communities in our town that tend to be more conservative,” Davis said.

The NIMBY “not in my backyard” movement holds a more restrictive view on development, citing concerns about possible negative impacts like increasing traffic congestion, decreasing property values, and increasing property taxes.

To address Bloomington’s housing needs, a recent report by the Regional Opportunities Initiative highlighted current and projected population-to-housing ratios and considerations for ongoing and future development in Monroe County.

Davis understands that housing issues can be controversial. Influenced by Secretary of Transportation head Pete Buttigieg’s approach to controversy, Davis believes in not letting opposition define him or the YIMBY movement as a whole.

“Controversy can be good, but only if it is utilized well. I never want to be defined by my opposition. I never want the NIMBYs to be the ones dictating where my movement goes, how I craft movement, what slogans I use, [or] what messages I propose,” Davis said.

Instead, Davis sees opposition as an opportunity to understand and engage respectfully with differing perspectives while driving the movement forward.

“I think with big fights come stories, and harnessing the power of those stories can be really helpful for driving a movement and helping that movement succeed in monumental ways.”

Davis believes a common misconception is that YIMBYs are trying to transform Bloomington into a metropolitan area. Davis explains his focus is on housing diversification.

“We don’t have to build just high-rise apartment buildings,” Davis explained. “There seems to be this binary between the types of housing that are offered in our community. On one end, you have single-family houses, the cookie-cutter suburban houses. On the other end, you have high-rise apartments that are for students. But there’s so many types of housing in the middle of those two, in the middle of that binary that we can implement in Bloomington to increase density and to increase housing availability without filling the town with high-rise apartments.”

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Davis continued, “In reality, all [YIMBY is advocating for] is just making our town more affordable, more accommodating for people that want to [live here], because that’s the only way a town grows. It’s when people come in and bring new economic opportunities and deliver those opportunities to the people who are already here [and] who can participate in that.”

When envisioning the impact of YIMBY-ana on the local housing landscape and community development, Davis asserts that increased housing availability will contribute to economic growth and new businesses, and will lower housing prices through increased supply to meet demand.

Davis also points to environmental sustainability promoted by denser housing leading to gaining access to more green spaces and reduced emissions.

“If you have, say, a complex of houses and you have a public transit node that is in that dense arrangement connecting it to [a] medical plant, campus, [or] other places where people might work, they’re going to be more likely to take that option,” Davis said.

His argument is that enhanced public transit accessibility reduces dependency on cars and associated pollution.

Davis further asserts the YIMBY movement believes proper investment will lead to improved community engagement and diversity by fostering unified neighborhoods.

“People become more disconnected, and I think that largely has to do with the Internet, but I think a large part of it has to do with the way our neighborhoods and our communities are set up, because of the fact [that] our communities are very disconnected from one another,” he said.

“If you live in a community that is more connected, surrounded by people, you’re more likely to be able to interact with different kinds of people and come to terms with different perspectives. I think that’s better for everyone because it allows for people to reach understandings with others without labeling other people as ‘different,’” Davis said.

“There are other things that have to be done, but I think creating more dense arrangements of housing and providing for more people to come into this community is a great first step to getting there,” Davis concluded.

Looking ahead, Davis and his supporters plan to endorse pro-YIMBY candidates in local and state elections, and promote community engagement through events and campaigns.

“I think it is important to let people know who are interested ... what candidates will be supporting their ideas,” Davis said.

With around 10 current members, hoping to expand by 20 by the end of the summer, YIMBY-ana encourages interested individuals to connect and contribute.

For more information, questions, and involvement, contact yimbyana@gmail.com or visit their website http://yimbyana.org for more resources.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington South student advocates for housing density through YIMBY