The Departments of the Interior and Housing and Urban Development are uniting to revolutionize affordable housing through strategic use of federal lands, sparking questions about the outcome.
Key Takeaways
- The Departments of the Interior and Housing and Urban Development are forming a taskforce to explore using federal land to address the U.S. housing shortage.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and HUD Chief Scott Turner announced the partnership to tackle the housing affordability crisis.
- The federal government owns about a quarter of U.S. land, mostly in western regions, managed by the Bureau of Land Management under the DOI.
- This joint effort will identify suitable lands for residential development while considering environmental impacts.
Strategic Use of Federal Lands
In response to growing concerns over housing affordability, the Departments of the Interior (DOI) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have announced a new initiative aimed at leveraging federally managed lands to alleviate the housing shortage. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and HUD chief Scott Turner aim to address this pressing issue by creating residential developments on federal lands, particularly in the West, where the DOI holds significant land areas.
The federal government owns about a quarter of the nation’s land, mostly in the western regions. This initiative seeks to tap into those resources by identifying underutilized lands suitable for housing while streamlining bureaucratic processes. A conservative think tank analysis suggests development of 512,000 acres could yield up to four million homes.
Balancing Development and Conservation
The partnership involves significant collaboration with local and state entities to tackle regulatory hurdles and logistical challenges associated with building on federal land. Burgum and Turner emphasized the importance of balancing the need for more housing with environmental considerations, promising to responsibly use resources while preserving lands. “This partnership will identify underutilized federal lands suitable for residential development and streamline the land transfer process. It will also promote policies to increase the availability of affordable housing while balancing important environmental and land use considerations,” Doug Burgum stated.
The initiative may focus on federal lands near major cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City, areas recognized for severe housing shortages. The goal is to take an inventory of underused properties and make them available for development, with affordability remaining central to the mission.
Challenges and Prospects
While the prospect of increasing housing supply is promising, past attempts to initiate such federal-led housing projects have encountered political disagreements and regulatory obstacles. However, both agencies are optimistic that this initiative, by cutting through bureaucratic red tape, will significantly contribute to boosting housing opportunities nationwide.
“Working together, our agencies can take inventory of underused federal properties, transfer or lease them to states or localities to address housing needs, and support the infrastructure required to make development viable—all while ensuring affordability remains at the core of the mission,” Burgum and Turner said.
The housing crisis has been a significant issue for voters, as shown in a Pew Research Center survey indicating 69% of voters were “very concerned” about home prices. Efforts such as this, focusing on federal lands, could make a measurable impact by ensuring lower housing costs and increased availability.
Sources
1. HUD, Interior announce plan to use federal land for affordable housing
2. Burgum, Turner Announce Taskforce To Tackle ‘Housing Affordability Crisis’ In U.S.
