Local News | December 12, 2024
Western governor meet in Las Vegas to discuss how to develop affordable housing in our states
LAS VEGAS (KTNV)
Governors from around the west — facing shortages of affordable and workforce housing — on Monday discussed hurdles and solutions to a thorny issue that affects all of their states.
At the winter meeting of the Western Governors Association held in Las Vegas, six governors from as far away as Hawai’i discussed how to provide entry-level homes to lower-income residents, asking questions of experts and sharing ideas with each other.
In Nevada, a decades-old law allows the Bureau of Land Management to sell federal land to local governments for a cut-rate price, even if it’s worth much more. Since buying land is a significant part of the cost of development, cheaper parcels are an incentive to builders. The catch: The land must be maintained for affordable housing in perpetuity.
Jon Raby, the state director for the federal Bureau of Land Management, said his agency supports the goal of building more housing.
