|
Senator Mike Lee has proposed selling public lands to create more affordable housing, but experts across the political spectrum say a lack of land is not the main barrier to new housing construction. Washington Post “Climate Coach” columnist Michael J. Coren discusses how creative local-level solutions can more effectively address the affordable housing shortage.
Selling national public land won’t address the real drivers of the housing crisis, including restrictive zoning laws, high construction costs, permitting complexity, and inadequate financing for builders and buyers. A better approach is for local and state governments to implement policies like “by right” development, microunits, accelerated permitting, and reduced parking minimums, all of which have been shown to improve housing availability.
Housing experts are clear that public land sales are not the solution, particularly in the West, where most public lands are remote and unsuitable for development. Polling shows that Western voters agree, as they overwhelmingly prefer housing solutions that add homes near where they live and work, not on public lands.
House releases Interior-EPA spending bill, targets Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
On Tuesday, House Appropriations subcommittees approved 2026 fiscal bills with significant funding cuts to energy, environment, and climate programs. Language included in the fiscal 2026 funding legislation also targets Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by requiring the Bureau of Land Management to follow a 2020 land use plan that does not recognize the monument's existing boundaries.
|
People need to be patient because I think the morale of the National Park Service has never been great, but now it is in the toilet. People just need to say thank you because right now they are not being thanked by the administration.”
