The affordability of housing is a top concern among governors in our region. A variety of options were discussed during the recent Western Governors’ Association winter meeting in Las Vegas.
Governors said federal lands could be reallocated to help solve the housing crisis. For instance, 80% of the land in Nevada is federally managed, said Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo.
“in places like Clark county where we are today, the land available for development is slated to end by 2032,” he said.
That's why Nevada is working to streamline programs to allocate federal lands for housing. Some affordable housing projects have been developed in the Las Vegas area specifically for seniors.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said his state has a similar approach. Over 60% of Utah’s lands are federally managed.
In New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said modular and prefab homes are helping provide lower-cost options.
“It was the only way to create affordability,” she said. Adobe structures that are more historic and iconic in that state are not affordable to build today.
Finding places to put affordable housing can be contentious. Some wealthy communities oppose “affordable” housing developments, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said, referring to high-value homes near Grand Teton National Park.
In Colorado, proposals to tax short-term rentals and vacation homes and allocate those funds for affordable housing, have been very contentious and will continue to be debated in 2025.
Ultimately, John Raby with the Bureau of Land Management, who was also a part of the panel discussion, said the housing affordability crisis needs to include long-term solutions.
“(We need) to come up with what that looks like 10, 20, 50 years out so we can front end load that and streamline the process,” he said.
Across Mountain West states, well over half of extremely low income renter households face a severe cost burden, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Several governors said affordability is key for maintaining a strong workforce and economy.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio (KNPR) in Las Vegas, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
