Affordable housing is a growing concern. The Biden administration announced efforts to help, like caps on rent increases.
Rents have increased over 31% in the past five years, according to the government watchdog group Accountable US. This week, the Biden administration announced more than $300 million in funds are being distributed to states and local communities aimed to help make housing more affordable.
At a community center in Las Vegas, Housing and Urban Development Acting Secretary Adrian Todman presented a local housing authority with a $50 million grant to improve existing low-income units and build new ones.
“We talked about what we're doing here in Nevada,” Todman said. “In Colorado, we provided $34.5 million. In New Mexico, we have been providing hundreds of thousands of funds so they can plan for their neighborhoods.”
During his visit to Las Vegas, President Biden mentioned some of these initiatives, which also include transferring federal land to local jurisdictions for more affordable housing. Opposition to these initiatives has come from rental owners and some Republicans. The Las Vegas Real Estate Association and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo said these efforts would have the opposite effect.
“While the release of federal land for subsidized housing in Las Vegas is one arrow in our quiver, significant work remains in alleviating high housing costs for the middle class and eliminating federal barriers to housing development across the state,” Lombardo said in a statement. “Like many others, I’m also concerned about President Biden’s rent control proposal, which studies have repeatedly shown to inadvertently raise rental costs and lead to lower-quality housing options. My administration remains committed to delivering sustainable and practical long-term housing solutions for Nevadans.”
Acting Housing Secretary Adrian Todman pushed back.
“People are forgoing medicine and food because shelter comes first. We're doing something about that. So we are listening and we're putting ideas on the table, and I challenge other people to do the same.”
HUD is also allocating resources to provide legal help for those facing evictions. Funding is also being allocated for down payment assistance for first-time home buyers.
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.
