Senator Cortez Masto Writes Op-ed on Affordable Housing Efforts in Nevada

In an op-ed in The Nevada Independent, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) discusses the overwhelming need for affordable housing in Washoe County, Nevada and across the state. The senator notes that incomes have not kept pace with rising home prices across the region, and over 50 percent of all renters experience a cost burden. To address the problem, Senator Cortez Masto highlights work being done on the community level, particularly a collaboration between Enterprise, Truckee Meadows Healthy Communities (TMHC) and the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency to develop a roadmap for the region’s housing policy and investments over the next 10 years. The plan includes creating a regional housing trust fund, updating building codes and zoning laws, establishing rental assistance programs for low-income families and more goals for creating affordable housing, and expanding public private partnerships. Senator Cortez Masto also notes her commitment to addressing the issue at the federal level, including her support for the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (S. 548) to strengthen and expand the Housing Credit, and efforts to increase funding for the CDBG and HOME Investment Partnership programs.