Biden-Harris Administration announces new actions to build more housing and lower housing costs in Clark County

The Biden-Harris administration announced the sale of 20 acres of public lands for just $100 per acre for the construction of critically needed affordable housing projects in Southern Nevada. Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning, White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, and Director of the Las Vegas Field Office of HUD Adrienne Babbit joined Clark County and state leaders in Las Vegas to sign the patent and celebrate the sale.

The below fair market value sale is the first under a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Departments of the Interior and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), signed last year, that makes it easier for local communities in the Las Vegas metropolitan area to obtain unused federal land to build affordable housing. The land sale is part of a framework, established under the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act of 1998 (SNPLMA), that simultaneously expands housing development opportunities, improves recreation opportunities on public lands, and enables the acquisition and protection of ecologically sensitive lands.

“Friday’s announcement with Clark County shows that BLM can use tools specific to southern Nevada to work together to advance affordable housing in a targeted and responsible way,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. ”This development will provide quality housing that is in town and in reach for Nevada’s working families.”

“Every American deserves to live in an affordable home. That’s why, since day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked to build more housing and bring down housing costs,” said White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden. ”As a result of their efforts, there are 1.5 million units currently under construction, and housing starts are up 17 percent compared to the previous Administration. But we’re not stopping now. Today’s announcement is about making it easier to build affordable housing by cutting red tape and breaking down barriers to housing development.”

The BLM sold 20 acres of public land — appraised at almost $20 million — to Clark County for $2,000. The county will develop the land into 210 single-family homes to be provided to households that make $70,000 per year or less. The parcel is located in the southwest portion of the Las Vegas Valley on the north side of Cactus Avenue between Buffalo Drive and Rainbow Boulevard. Clark County named this development the Welcome Home Community Land Trust, Cactus Trails. These projects will also bring more than 100 jobs to Las Vegas.

“Clark County has invested millions of dollars to foster development of affordable housing for working families and seniors on fixed income within our community,” said Clark County Commissioner Jones. ”Cactus Trails will be a first-of-its kind development in our community, aiming to offer affordable homeownership opportunities to working families.”

Cactus Trails will consist of 210 single-family homes, including three- and four-bedroom homes, and will be surrounded by walking trails, a playground, and other amenities. The developer, Kavison Homes, is expected to submit plans for the project this fall. After the homes are built, each qualified homeowner will purchase the home and the County will maintain ownership of the land.

The collaboration between the Departments occurs under the authority of the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 (SNPLMA), which allows the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell public lands within a specific boundary around Las Vegas, Nevada, for development. Although SNPLMA requires parcels to be sold for fair market value to fund education, water and public lands projects in Nevada, Section 7(b) of the Act allows state and local governments to purchase land for a nominal cost to support affordable housing.

The MOU signed last year formalizes an updated sales process, with subsequent guidance specifying that public lands be made available for Nevada or local governmental entities for $100 an acre to support affordable housing. This is far below the rate for comparable land sales — which at one point reached a high of more than $2 million per acre.

The project builds on previous partnerships between the BLM and Clark County to advance affordable housing in Southern Nevada. In 2023, Biden-Harris leaders celebrated the BLM’s conveyance of a five-acre parcel to Clark County, Nevada, for the development of affordable housing for senior citizens in the Las Vegas metro area. Clark County provided $11.8 million in funding for the project, which represents one of the first efforts in its “Welcome Home” initiative, aimed at creating more affordable housing options for Las Vegas Valley residents most in need. The facility, the Pebble Eastern Senior Apartments, will consist of 195 one- and two-bedroom apartments that will be rented at below-market rates to low-income seniors.

Since its enactment, SNPLMA has generated more than $4 billion that the BLM re-invests in Nevada’s public lands. The program has supported the development of parks, trails, and natural areas; public infrastructure; conservation initiatives; multi-species habitat conservation plans; acquisition of environmentally sensitive land; hazardous fuels reduction projects in the Spring Mountains, Carson Range, and at Lake Tahoe; landscape restoration projects in eastern Nevada; and environmental restoration at Lake Tahoe.

The 2022 MOU and land sale are part of a larger Biden-Harris Administration effort to boost housing supply in Nevada. This includes $700 million invested in affordable housing construction and preservation efforts in the state through the American Rescue Plan.