Utah senators introduce housing bill

Utah's senators enjoying some Jello in 2019. Photo: Sen. Mike Lee

WASHINGTON — On Friday Utah Senators Mitt Romney (R) and Mike Lee (R), along with Sen. John Barrasso (R) of Wyoming, introduced the Helping Open Underutilized Space to Ensure Shelter or HOUSES Act.

The bill would allow state or local governments to purchase parcels of federal land at a reduced price for housing. It would be subject to a density requirement.

The federal government owns more than two-thirds of Utah’s land. Home prices in the Beehive State increased by 24.5% from 2020 to 2021. “Coupled with historic inflation, the rising prices of housing is making life less affordable for western families,” a press release says.

The National Association of Counties has endorsed the bill.

“As our state has experienced rapid growth over the last decade, housing prices have skyrocketed and housing affordability has become a growing challenge for communities across our state—a challenge which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. We must make finding and affording houses more accessible for everyone,” Romney said in a statement.

“However, with two-thirds of our state owned by the federal government, the ability of many communities to expand is prohibited by federal ownership. By increasing the amount of federal land that can be used for housing development—ranging from single family homes to low-income housing and apartments—our legislation will start to address our state’s housing shortages.”

“Supply is not meeting housing demand in Utah, and the federal government’s land ownership is a significant cause of our restricted housing stock,” Lee said in a statement.

“The HOUSES Act will free federal land in a responsible manner to keep the dream and promise of Utah alive. This bill will help ensure Utah remains a place where families and communities can thrive, grow, and prosper.”