LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Gov. Joe Lombardo is expected to unveil his comprehensive housing bill Tuesday, amid a longstanding housing crisis and criticism from Democrats over his 2023 vetoes of housing bills.
Lombardo is scheduled to discuss Assembly Bill 540 at a 1:30 p.m. news conference in Las Vegas.
The lengthy bill would:
- Create the Nevada Attainable Housing Account and fund it with $200 million for loans, grants or rebates to build attainable housing, which is being defined in the bill to include all levels of affordable housing.
- Require developers, in general, to put up matching funds in an amount equal to state money for projects.
- Exempt attainable housing projects from existing prevailing wage laws.
- Provide funds for rental assistance and eviction diversion programs.
- Require local governments to adopt an expedited process for considering and approving attainable housing projects.
- Authorize local governments to reimburse building permits and fees for attainable housing projects.
- Issue provisional contractor’s licenses in rural areas where there is a shortage of skilled labor that’s preventing the building of attainable housing.
The bill comes as lawmakers struggle with the shortage of housing in Las Vegas. They’ve introduced a series of bills, all of which are aimed at helping would-be homebuyers and tenants in rental properties.
WATCH | What you need to know about these Nevada bills that aim to address the housing crisis:
Meanwhile, Assembly Democrats have criticized Lombardo for vetoing housing bills in the 2023 session that they say would have eased the housing crisis.
They note an increase in evictions — to 47,000 in the past year — and the new median home price of $485,000, which is out of reach for many families.
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Lombardo defends eviction bill veto
Lombardo vetoed bills that would have capped rent increases for seniors and people with disabilities, delayed eviction proceedings if a tenant had a pending rental assistance application, required landlords to file for eviction in court (rather than tenants filing first to protest an eviction notice), and demanded fee transparency for renters.
“The cost to buy a home is now at record highs, but when Lombardo had the opportunity to sign legislation that would lower rent costs and keep more Nevadans in their homes, he vetoed the bills,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesman Tai Sims. “He owns Nevada’s housing crisis.”
Lombardo — in his veto messages — said he objected to rent controls, did not want to continue COVID-era laws after the pandemic was over, and wanted to avoid increasing costs for tenants.
And while it’s not in his bill, the governor has also been pushing to get the federal government to release more Bureau of Land Management-owned property for development. Most recently, he sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, encouraging him to add a Nevada representative to a newly formed Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing.