Connect with us

Nevada

Six ways Nevada policymakers are trying to tackle the housing crisis – Carson Now

Published

on

Six ways Nevada policymakers are trying to tackle the housing crisis – Carson Now


By Lizzie Ramirez — When Emma Goabel moved into her first apartment, her washer, dryer, dishwasher and back door lock were all broken. 

It took a month for the landlord to fix the appliances and replace the locks. 

“We couldn’t lock our door at night,” said Goabel, 20. “We just locked our bedroom doors at night [and] pray[ed] for the best. They said it wasn’t that big of an issue.”

Many renters face similar issues. But finding a new place with a better landlord isn’t easy in Nevada’s pricey rental market.

Advertisement

A recent report from the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan policy research center, shows that housing unaffordability in Nevada has reached an all-time high. More than half of Nevada renters are considered cost burdened, defined as spending at least 35 percent of their gross monthly income on housing. Statewide rental costs started increasing dramatically relative to income starting in 2020.

This year, the Legislature is responding to the housing crisis by bringing new bills back for consideration, and reviving some of the concepts Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed last session. The Republican governor himself has used one of his five main policy bills to help address the housing issues.

Common themes this session include renter protections, easing construction burdens for new housing and helping first-time homebuyers.

“I do hope to be able to [own a house], but I know the ages at which people are able to buy houses, it’s getting older and older,” Goabel said. “Maybe by the time I’m 40 or 50, I want to have a house.”

Capping rent hikes

Advertisement

Several bills aimed at shielding renters from price hikes have drawn pushback, including AB280, which would cap rent increases at 5 percent annually for tenants who are 62 and older, or who rely on Social Security payments, for a year and a half starting in July. The bill was passed out of committee in late March.

The measure sponsored by Assm. Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) is identical to a bill she proposed in 2023 that passed with some bipartisan support but was vetoed by Lombardo.

“I brought back the same bill. It’s a very simple bill,” Jauregui told The Nevada Independent in an interview. “It is a pilot program to stabilize rent and give those people who need the most assistance, the assistance right now.”

Opponents, including Realtors and landlords, argue that any form of rent control will hurt Nevada’s housing market and have made the policy the focus of a major ad campaign. Instead, they say the Legislature should focus on building more housing units to increase supply and satisfy demand. 

The Nevada Realtors supported the idea of rent caps for seniors last legislative session, but now oppose the bill. 

Advertisement

“It’s no longer a pandemic … we need to let the market figure itself out,” Azim Jessa, an executive board member for the Realtors, said in an interview.

Jessa said he believes the housing market is already fixing itself — rental rates are down 1.4 percent in Southern Nevada and down 9.5 percent in Northern Nevada from July 2023 to December 2024.

But a former employee of Adult Protective Services (APS), who requested anonymity for fear of repercussions, believes AB280 would greatly help the senior population, especially those with disabilities. They cited a client in Fallon who was unable to get their landlord to fix their home and was evicted. 

“It was in complete disarray. There were holes in the roof, holes in the walls, there was a mice infestation. There were mushrooms growing in the walls,” they told The Nevada Independent.

The former employee said the landlord didn’t do anything about the habitability issues and even increased the rent. The client’s husband was bed-bound, causing the client to refuse to leave the home once APS got involved. A week later, the client was hospitalized, and then diagnosed with cancer. The APS employee said the client’s case was still open when they left and that they hope AB280 passes this session “our duty [is to] to protect our elderly, our disabled, as a community.”

Advertisement

The Northern Nevada Central Labor Council (NNCLC), a union whose members include laborers in the construction industry, is also lobbying for the bill on behalf of retirees. 

“We’re not doing a good enough job of taking care of our older community and at a national level, we’re actively working to make sure that they’re even worse off personally,” NNCLC President Ross Kinson said.

Housing for rent in Reno on April 7, 2025. (David Calvert/The Nevada Independent)

Tightening renter protections

Similarly, proponents say another bill, AB223, would create safer and healthier living conditions by giving Nevada renters more recourse when a home is in disrepair. The bill was passed out of committee in late March.

This bill would remove vague terms such as “adequately” and “materially” from state law dealing with a landlord’s responsibilities when a home is in disrepair.  Sponsor Assm. Venicia Considine (D-Las Vegas) said it would close loopholes that allow unsafe conditions to persist.

Advertisement

Under the proposal, tenants could also reduce or withhold rent if their home doesn’t comply with habitability laws. The bill also empowers tenants to file a complaint in court of unhealthy living conditions not being fixed by the landlord, and the tenant could use that complaint as a defense against eviction.

AB223 received more than 50 opposition letters, largely through a letter-writing campaign coordinated by the Nevada State Apartment Association. Opponents argued there already is a fair balance between tenants and landlords; one critic wrote that Considine is trying to “impress the more extreme-left wing” — an assertion she rebuked.

“Tenants that are living with no air conditioning, with doors that don’t lock, they’re not left-wing people,” Considine told The Nevada Independent. “They’re working class people that are trying to live in a safe environment.” 

Building more housing

Lawmakers are also focused on speeding up delays in housing development, which stem from building slowdowns during the 2008 Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the rising costs of housing materials, zoning regulations, permitting processes and widespread federal land ownership.

Advertisement

Many bills this session are focused around building more housing in nontraditional areas as a solution until more federal land opens up in Nevada.

Another Jauregui measure, AB241, would expedite approval of multifamily homes to be built on commercial properties. The bill was passed out of committee in early April.

Supporters say the measure will help create more walkable, all-encompassing communities, similar to Northern Nevada’s Reno Experience District (RED), which has faced criticism for being unaffordable for the average renter in the city. 

Though NNCLC’s Kinson acknowledged the bill would accelerate housing development, he said he was worried that the bill failed to include project labor agreement requirements or other labor standards.

“We should be building local. We should be buying local. We should be staying local because that helps our local communities continue to grow,” Kinson said.

Advertisement

Opening up more federal land

Another popular approach to the housing shortage is urging the federal government to release federally owned land, which accounts for 85 percent of land in the Silver State. Lombardo advocated for this during his State of the State address.

Lawmakers in both parties support the idea. Jauregui introduced AJR10, urging the federal government to release land for housing. 

However, the Guinn Center warns that it could take years for Congress to release the land, and construction costs will continue to rise in the meantime.

Kinson said continuing to build outward would create additional problems and instead urged lawmakers to support concepts such as a light rail system. AB256, a bill sponsored by Assm. Selena La Rue Hatch (D-Reno), would start the process of creating a regional train system in Nevada. The bill was passed out of committee in late March. 

Advertisement

“Good cities become great cities because they invest in their infrastructure [and] public transit,” Kinson said. 

Incentivizing more projects

Lombardo also introduced his own housing bill, AB540, which would put forward $250 million in state money to support housing projects. This bill also creates a new tier of affordable housing eligibility, known as attainable housing, for homeowners earning between 120 percent and 150 percent of an area’s median household income. The bill has yet to pass out of committee.

When developers undertake affordable and attainable housing, they can tap into certain government incentives and expedited processes for their projects. However, the bill exempts attainable housing developed from the Nevada State Infrastructure Bank funding from prevailing wage requirements — which is a sort of minimum wage for construction workers based on the local standard for that kind of work. 

Wendy Colborne, chief of staff for the Building & Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada, called that problematic. 

Advertisement

“You actually make the problem worse because you’re not paying people enough to live in the very homes that they’re building,” Colborne said. 

Tina Frias, CEO of the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association, said during the AB540 hearing last week that prevailing wage requirements would make it “extremely difficult” to construct attainable housing. 

Frias contends higher labor costs would increase home prices beyond what low- and middle-income families could afford, pointing to a University of California, Berkeley study that found prevailing wage increases residential construction costs by $94,000 per unit. 

Nevada Realtors are also on board with Lombardo’s bill, arguing that more supply is key to resolving the state’s housing crisis

“It doesn’t matter how much people earn, because there’s not going to be availability or homes for them to be able to buy,” Jessa told The Nevada Independent. “We are really trying to help the working folks in Nevada … We want the people who work in Nevada to be able to buy a home in Nevada, and this is a bill that will get us there.”

Advertisement

Tackling high interest rates

With rising interest rates in the last few years further driving up the cost of buying a home, Sen. Fabian Doñate (D-Las Vegas) is hoping  to minimize those burdens through his bill SB193, which would require the state’s housing division to establish a pilot program to help eligible families buy down the interest rate on mortgage loans. The bill passed out of committee in early March.

To participate, families must meet criteria such as being first-time homebuyers, having a household income not exceeding 160 percent of the county’s median income, and qualifying under certain underwriting standards.

The bill is aimed at helping buyers such as Olivia Claypool, a self-employed cosmetologist who recently bought her first home. New to the process, Claypool was confused about what interest rates were and what role they played when she was signing her mortgage contract. 

Claypool was offered two options — a conventional loan or an unconventional loan. She learned through the experience that if she took out the unconventional loan, her interest rate would have increased by 2 percent, which equates to paying an extra $100,000 over the course of Claypool paying off her mortgage. 

Advertisement

Doñate said his bill will help families who make too much to be eligible for affordable housing, but are still struggling to afford groceries and additional bills they may have. 

If approved, eligible Nevadans would be given between $10,000 and $15,000 to buy down their interest rate.

It’s estimated homeowners would save about $300 per month, and between $50,000 to $100,000 over the course of a 30-year loan, he said. 

“People want to buy a home. They just don’t feel like the economy allows them to, and that’s what we’re trying to do right now,” Doñate said. 

Reporter Tabitha Mueller contributed to this article. This story is used with permission of The Nevada Independent. Go here for updates to this and other Nevada Independent stories.

Advertisement



Source link

Nevada

2025 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada girls cross country team revealed

Published

on

2025 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada girls cross country team revealed


First team

Gigi Benoualid, Coronado The senior finished seventh at the 5A Southern Region meet (19 minutes, 26.3 seconds) and was eighth at the 5A state meet (19:41).

Scarlett Cotrone, Faith Lutheran — The junior finished 11th at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:52.4) and was ninth at the 5A state meet (19:45) to help the Crusaders win the 5A team state title.

Ryen Hughes, Shadow Ridge — The junior finished fourth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:12.4) and was fifth at the 5A state meet (19:16).

Aislin McMahon, Sky Pointe — The junior finished second at the 5A Southern Region meet (18:54.8) and was second at the 5A state meet (19:00).

Advertisement

Brooke-Lynn Miller, Coronado — The senior won the 5A Southern Region individual title (18:40.8) and was seventh at the 5A state meet (19:19). She is committed to Cal Baptist.

Elynn Okuda, Shadow Ridge — The senior finished sixth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:16.1) and was third at state (19:11).

Lacy Tippetts, Sky Pointe — The junior finished third at the 5A Southern Region meet (18:58.2) and was 13th at the 5A state meet (19:57).

Sophia Weisz, Faith Lutheran — The junior finished fifth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:13.1) and was 10th at state (19:45) to help the Crusaders win the 5A team state title.

Coach of the year

Jeff Edwards, Faith Lutheran — Guided the Crusaders to the Class 5A team state title, the program’s fifth overall and first since 2001.

Advertisement

Second team

Jenna Anderson, Faith Lutheran — The sophomore finished 24th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:34.6) and was 14th at the 5A state meet (19:57) to help the Crusaders win the team title.

Lola Borsh, Desert Oasis — The freshman finished 16th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:16.5) and was 26th at the 5A state meet (20:26).

Katherine Hodges, Sky Pointe — The junior finished 13th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:12.8) and was 23rd at the 5A state meet (20:18).

Lacy Mayes, Centennial — The sophomore finished eighth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:30.6) and was 19th at the 5A state meet (20:05).

Autumn McQuirter, Liberty — The sophomore finished 15th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:15.7) and was 12th at the 5A state meet (19:54).

Advertisement

Mia Musemici, Desert Oasis — The senior finished 10th at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:47.8) and was 24th at the 5A state meet (20:23).

Belle Parrel, Centennial — The freshman finished ninth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:47.4) and was 17th at the 5A state meet (20:01).

Michelle Stana, Clark — The freshman won the 4A individual Desert League (21:19.9) and state (20:43.2) titles.

Mackenzie Teel, Sky Pointe — The senior finished 14th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:15.5) and was 37th at the 5A state meet (20:57).

Julia Vancura, Faith Lutheran — The senior finished 12th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:01.0) and was 21st at the 5A state meet (20:10).

Advertisement

Honorable mention

Mandi Abney, Shadow Ridge

Savannah Abney, Shadow Ridge

Emma Ansorge, Basic

Maleah Bennett, Centennial

Allison Blazi, Amplus Academy

Advertisement

Kensley Bleak, Lincoln County

Isabella Bustillos-Rivera, Desert Oasis

Ava Dupuis, Palo Verde

Isabelle Franks, Faith Lutheran

Leah Groppenbacher, Arbor View

Advertisement

MJ Gutierrez-Hess, Green Valley

Payton Howse, Clark

Sadie Ivins, Lincoln County

Madeline Labay, Bishop Gorman

Aubrei Lay, Sky Pointe

Advertisement

Selina Leipard, Clark

Ava Levy, Palo Verde

Stella Lin, Coronado

Mackenzie McClain, Sky Pointe

Adalyn Mosley, Foothill

Advertisement

Yalitzi Muro, Western

Elizabeth Neumann, Silverado

Julianna Ondrisko, Pahrump Valley

Sophie Romero, Pahrump Valley

Isabelle Searer, Liberty

Advertisement

Avery Stanton, Coronado

Eliott Stepanek, Faith Lutheran

Amira Turner, Centennial

Isla Ulmer, Coronado

Olivia Wheeler, Sky Pointe

Advertisement

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.



Source link

Continue Reading

Nevada

Justice Dept. sues Nevada over voter rolls

Published

on

Justice Dept. sues Nevada over voter rolls


LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Justice Department on Friday sued Nevada and three other states, claiming they’d failed to provide requested voter roll information.

Nevada officials, however, said the federal government hasn’t answered basic questions about how the information would be kept secure and questioned why officials wanted the data.

WATCH | What to know about the lawsuit

Advertisement

Justice Dept. sues Nevada over voter rolls

The 10-page lawsuit, filed in federal District Court in Nevada, says the government is seeking the information to enforce the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Act.

It says the Justice Department asked the state on June 25 for information including a copy of its computerized statewide voter registration list. It said the information could be sent via encrypted email or by using the department’s secure file-sharing system.

The state immediately replied, sending a copy of the voter registration list, including names, addresses and birthdates, but not drivers license information or the last four digits of Social Security numbers.

Advertisement

The department responded on Aug. 14, again asking for the full database and adding “the purpose of the request is to ascertain Nevada’s compliance with the list maintenance requirements of” federal election laws.

The state, according to the lawsuit, wrote back to say the federal government had no basis for the request and claimed it was concerned about privacy of voter data.

The lawsuit asks the court to declare Nevada’s refusal to provide the entire database unlawful, and order the state to turn it over.

In response, Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said in a statement Friday that the state’s concerns have gone unaddressed.

“The Department of Justice is making sweeping demands of states to hand over private voter data. Despite our simple requests for information on how they’re going to keep this data secure, they’ve given us no clear answers,” Aguilar said in the statement. “It’s my duty to follow Nevada law and protect the best interests of Nevadans, which includes protecting their sensitive information and access to the ballot.

Advertisement

“While these requests may seem like normal oversight, the federal government is using its power to try to intimidate states and influence how states administer elections ahead of the 2026 cycle. The Constitution makes it clear: elections are run by the states. Nevada will continue to run safe, secure and accessible elections and I’ll always stand up for the rights of our voters.”

In an interview on Friday, Nevada’s senior U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto questioned the motives of the Justice Department.

KTNV

“You’ve got to question why DOJ is asking for this information and why they’re pushing for this information,” she said. “Is it really to protect voting rights across this country, or is there some other nefarious purpose?”

Added Cortez Masto: “What I have seen is a focus on immigration, right? And their idea of purging all undocumented individuals from this country, including DREAMers, including those that are married to U.S. citizens, including those that are not violent criminals. We have seen that they are continuing down this path, and they are trying to figure out how to gather as much data as they can to use it against individuals in this country.”

Advertisement

President Donald Trump has falsely asserted that he won the 2020 election, nationwide and in Nevada, where Joe Biden defeated Trump by 2.39 percentage points or 33,596 votes statewide.

Six Republican electors were later indicted for sending false Electoral College certificates to Washington, D.C., part of a nationwide plot to keep Trump in office. The case was challenged on a technical issue, but the Nevada Supreme Court upheld the charges, and a trial is expected in the new year.

An email seeking comment from the attorney general’s office — which will defend Nevada in court — was not immediately returned Friday.

Do you have a question about politics in Nevada? Ask Steve Sebelius by emailing Steve.Sebelius@ktnv.com.

Do you have questions about politics, elections or government? Email us using the Ask Steve link on our website.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Nevada

Nevada nonprofit, BCP challenging PUCN over NV Energy’s daily demand charge

Published

on

Nevada nonprofit, BCP challenging PUCN over NV Energy’s daily demand charge


LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Nevada nonprofit organization and the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection are challenging the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada in court after the organization approved new NV Energy policies.

Vote Solar is a nonprofit advocacy group that focuses on state policies affecting solar and clean energy solutions.

WATCH | Darcy Spears breaks down challenge against PUCN

Advertisement

Nevada nonprofit, BCP challenging PUCN over NV Energy’s daily demand charge

According to their petition for judicial review, they are questioning the PUCN’s decision to approve two separate policies:

  • A new daily demand charge for residential and small business customers in Southern Nevada
  • A new 15-minute net metering policy for rooftop solar customers in Northern Nevada

In the petition, Vote Solar officials claim the PUCN’s final decisions are:

  • In violation of constitutional or statutory provisions
  • In excess of the statutory authority of the Commission
  • Made upon unlawful procedure
  • Affected by other error of law
  • Clearly erroneous in view of the reliable, probative and substantial evidence on the record
  • Arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion

“The PUCN’s decision is a major step backward for Nevada’s clean energy future,” said Chauntille Roberts, Regional Director at Vote Solar. “Nevada deserves energy policies that protect consumers, expand access to solar, and move our state forward—not backward.”

The Attorney General Office’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has filed a separate petition for judicial review.

“The demand charge rate structure (if permitted to be implemented), the 15-minute NEM netting methodology, and the approved affiliate charges result in rates that are unjust, unreasonable, and unlawful in contravention of NRS 704.040, and undermine the Commission’s fundamental duty under NRS 704.001 to provide utility ratepayers with just and reasonable rates,” the filing states in part.

Advertisement

The filing also states commissioners approved $2.7 million worth of affiliate charges that ratepayers would cover.

“The Commission’s decision concerning affiliate charges is belied by the record as the evidence in this docket demonstrates that NPC failed to provide any evidence, let alone substantial evidence, sufficient to support the recovery of an aggregate of $2.7 million,” the filing states. “Not only is the $2.7 million in affiliate charges unsupported by actual charges, it is also unreasonable and an unsupported monetary number, resulting in the Commission’s decision being arbitrary and capricious.”

No future court hearings have been scheduled for that case, as of Friday morning.

Channel 13 has reached out to NV Energy and the PUCN to see if they would like to comment on the petition.

NV Energy sent the following statement to us.

Advertisement

“NV Energy believes the changes that were approved and reaffirmed by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada are consistent with state law, and we will be following this filing closely.

The demand charge more accurately captures the cost of energy delivery. It also helps to fix inequities between rooftop solar and non-rooftop solar customers. Because of the current billing structure, rooftop solar customers pay less than non-rooftop solar customers for the cost of service, shifting costs to non-rooftop solar customers.

Between 2018 and 2024, the total cost shift born by non-rooftop solar customers in Southern Nevada is $424 million. The total subsidy in Southern Nevada in 2025 is expected to grow by an additional $80 million, based on expected growth for the rest of the year.

The recently approved demand charge helps fix the inequities caused by the current system, and helps ensure that customer bills more accurately reflect the cost it takes to provide them with service.”

NV Energy Spokesperson

As of the time this article was published, we have not heard back from the PUCN.

Advertisement

In September, the PUCN approved the new rate model, which has sparked controversy among many Southern Nevadans who claim this will make their energy bills continue to go up.

“It’s painful. I just wanted to express concern as a private citizen that corporate America is going to do what it’s going to do to maintain profits and dividends,” Las Vegas local Joel Tauber told us in October.

“Why can a monopoly, a utility monopoly, dictate how I live in my residence,” retiree Jody Rodarmal told us in September. “If you believe there’s not going to be any increase, then why go to a new style of billing?”

SEPTEMBER 2025: NV Energy’s new billing structure sparks concern among Las Vegas residents

Advertisement

NV Energy’s new billing structure sparks concern among Las Vegas residents

How would the daily demand charge work?

According to NV Energy, the daily demand charge will be calculated by taking the highest amount of energy used in a 15-minute period each day and multiplying it by the current kilowatt-per-hour rate.

That charge will then be added to your bill. For the average customer, NV Energy estimates this will amount to roughly $20 per month.

Advertisement

WATCH: Ryan Ketcham explains NV Energy’s new daily demand charge

NV Energy is adding a ‘daily demand charge’ to power bills. What does that mean for consumers?

In past statements to Channel 13, NV Energy officials have stressed the rate increase requests are intended to recoup the costs of projects it undertakes to shore up the power grid.

Advertisement

However, there have been questions about that over the last year after scandals involving overcharging customers and trying to pass on the costs of things like luxury hotels, travel, and liquor to ratepayers, including a $1.2 million tab at Red Rock Resort.

According to NV Energy, Nevada customers already pay a lower average rate than the rest of the country. Through June 2025, the company says its rates were 22% lower than the U.S. average and 60% lower than in California.

Do you have a concern or question about something happening in the valley? Email Darcy.Spears@ktnv.com.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending