Nevada lawmakers questioned the governor’s attainable housing bill during a three-hour hearing in Carson City on Wednesday evening.
Gov. Joe Lombardo is seeking a total of $250 million for attainable housing projects. This amount is more than what’s written in the bill. The governor said the additional $50 million would come from the Nevada Housing Division.
It can go to the construction of homes and down payment assistance, and the legislation would allow out-of-state developers to work in Nevada, like in rural communities near the Utah and Idaho borders.
Legislators had a number of questions about how construction workers would be paid. The bill proposes that funding recipients would not have to pay the prevailing wage. This is essentially the minimum compensation employers must pay if receiving public money.
Lombardo defended his decision when speaking to journalists.
“Because of labor. Labor shortages and the ability to put enough forces to bear to the issue,” Lombardo said.
He estimated 16,000 households will be helped over the next four years.
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