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Nevada has the opportunity to lead the nation in housing policy. By empowering building officials to use standard permit processes for small infill homes, releasing federal lands for development, and accelerating approvals for attainable projects, we can build the inventory our residents desperately need.

Housing affordability is a challenge across the country. Earlier this year, the Montana Supreme Court upheld housing policies that are badly needed in their state. With Montana experiencing severe housing affordability challenges — such as median home prices skyrocketing and pricing out local workforces — the state’s aggressive zoning reforms represent a necessary step toward increasing supply. These severe housing constraints plague communities nationwide, and, here in Nevada, we’re grateful that Gov. Joe Lombardo prioritized market-based solutions like AB 540.

The governor’s legislation attacks the core of the problem by enhancing contractor licensing reciprocity and cutting the bureaucratic red tape that consistently slows attainable housing development. We must build on this momentum.

We must stay away from bad policies like rent control, excessive zoning restrictions that limit new housing supply, or creating burdensome rental registries. Over 93% of economists agree that rent control is a failed experiment in addressing our housing crisis. By artificially capping rent prices, these policies discourage new housing development, reduce incentives for property maintenance, and ultimately lead to local government budget deficits and housing shortages. We saw the real-world consequences in St. Paul, Minn., where apartment construction permits dropped 48% the year after voters passed a rent control initiative. Only after the St. Paul City Council repealed the law did construction soar to peak levels again.

In Nevada, housing industry leaders remain focused on solutions that increase the housing supply, such as opening federal lands for responsible development and streamlining local permitting processes. Clark and Washoe counties are both grappling with a dwindling supply of developable land, with only a few years of inventory remaining. Without additional land released by the federal government, the imbalance between supply and demand will continue to drive prices higher for Nevada families. Similarly, the paperwork problem acts as one of the most overlooked barriers to new housing. While high-level zoning policies often get the spotlight, everyday municipal processes are quietly suffocating the small-scale development we need. Research from organizations like Up for Growth has shown that well-intentioned housing proposals often stall or collapse during lengthy and unpredictable approval processes. In California, for example, studies from UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation found that permitting timelines can stretch from two to five years — delays that frequently drive up costs and cause projects to be abandoned altogether. Recent reports have shown bureaucratic red tape has delayed housing reconstruction after devastating natural disasters in California with no end in sight.

If Nevada is serious about solving its housing crisis, we must stay focused on what works: passing a federal lands bill, increasing supply, reducing unnecessary barriers, and empowering builders to deliver the homes our communities need. With continued leadership, thoughtful policy, adequate land supply and a commitment to practical solutions, Nevada can set the standard for how states tackle housing affordability, ensuring that families, workers and future generations all have a place to call home.