Press Release: Nevada and BLM Forge Data-Sharing Agreement to Address Housing Crisis
Carson City, NV – In a significant move to tackle the state’s housing crisis, Governor Joe Lombardo announced a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) aimed at enhancing data sharing on public lands eligible for future development. The agreement, finalized on Tuesday, will facilitate the identification of federally managed lands in Nevada that could be repurposed for attainable housing.
“With this data sharing agreement, we can better identify land suitable for development, marking a vital step in our state-federal partnership,” Lombardo stated. Approximately 80% of Nevada’s land is federally managed, making this initiative crucial for addressing the state’s housing shortages, particularly in Clark County. A recent report from the UNLV Lied Center for Real Estate highlighted that a slowdown in homebuilding following the Great Recession has led to a current deficit of available housing, with potential for over 281,000 residential units if construction rates had been maintained.
Nicholas Irwin of the Lied Center emphasized the agreement’s practical benefits, noting the lack of a centralized geographic information system (GIS) office at the state level. The MOU allows BLM to provide Nevada’s Division of Minerals with critical data, streamlining multi-agency efforts and reducing duplicated data collection.
The three-year agreement does not have funding commitments but lays the groundwork for better coordination. State Assembly Majority Floor Leader Sandra Jauregui highlighted the need for a multifaceted approach to solving the housing crisis, advocating for a resolution to urge the federal government to release land for housing.
As developers and advocates anticipate the impacts of this new partnership, they hope it will expedite the often lengthy process of land release and development preparation.
For further information, contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com or follow @mckennaross on X.
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