By Ryan Tisminezky, KLAS, April 1, 2025
Republican Governor Joe Lombardo announced Tuesday that the state is entering an agreement with the federal government to identify what land is available in Nevada.
Lombardo revealed the agreement at a briefing on his housing bill. 8 News Now first reported the bill’s creation.
The bill would remove restrictions for builders looking to develop affordable housing on federal land, which Governor Lombardo said is part of his plan to make Nevada more affordable.
“This is what we’re doing. We’re putting people to work,” Lombardo said. “We’re developing ideas to ensure that they stay in work, and they have long-term jobs, not a short-term job, and expanding upon the economy.”
Lombardo wants to expand the places where people can live, which he believes will expand the economy. That coming through the newly announced collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management, which owns more than 80% of Nevada’s land.
“We’ve had more accomplished in this short period of time with the Bureau of Land Management than we have had in several years,” Lombardo said. He is expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with BLM at the start of May.
The bill also speeds up how quickly those new developments can be built and makes more people eligible to live in affordable housing.
“Education, jobs, that pay well and making it affordable for them to purchase home, ensure that they remain within the state of Nevada and that they have a good quality of life,” Lombardo said.