Fighting to Make Housing More Affordable in Nebraska

Nebraska is the best place in the world to live.  But for too many Nebraskans, red tape and regulations can make it hard to find affordable housing.  By one estimate, overregulation accounts for nearly 25% of the cost of a single-family home.  For a typical apartment development, it’s even worse.  Regulations account for 40% of the cost.  That means fewer families can achieve the American dream.  I am fighting to provide more opportunity for hardworking Nebraskans. 

Across Nebraska, rural housing is in high demand.  I took steps to address this as Governor.  When I was Governor, for example, we passed a rural workforce housing bill.  We created a $7 million Rural Workforce Housing Fund.  Nebraska communities applied for grants from this state fund.  One of the ways we used this fund was to make low-interest loans to developers.  These funds helped developers come to a rural community to build houses and apartment buildings.  It helped cover construction costs, down payment assistance, and technical assistance.  This program was simple and successful. 

 As Senator, I am taking this proven Nebraska solution and making it ready for America.  I’m working with my Republican colleagues to make it easier to build homes.  We’re making the Good Life more affordable for everyone.

My Senate Banking Committee colleagues and I passed the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act.  This vote was bipartisan and unanimous.  The bill package is a landmark achievement for Nebraskans.  It puts us on the path to make home ownership a possibility for all Americans.  It will allow local communities to choose the zoning rules that best fit their needs.  Within the ROAD to Housing Act, there are a variety of bills that will deliver for rural communities, veterans, and families.  That includes my bipartisan Streamlining Rural Housing Act.  

Nebraska’s community-driven rural housing development program was successful when I was Governor.  Developers built more homes for rural Nebraskans.  However, they also faced burdensome federal regulations.  They ran into challenges drawing financing from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  Overlapping regulations got in the way. 

The Streamlining Rural Housing Act enhances efficiency and eliminates conflicting requirements.  Red tape and burdensome regulations create additional costs.  They deter much-needed investments in affordable rural housing.  This bill cuts through the red tape.  It streamlines the review and inspection processes between HUD and USDA.  By eliminating delays for approvals, we can build more housing in rural Nebraska.  This will make rural housing development more efficient.  That helps home builders, affordable housing non-profits, and state housing finance agencies. 

When development is more efficient, more homes get built.  It’s that simple.  When more homes are built, housing becomes more affordable.  The bill establishes working groups to advocate for affordable housing non-profits.  Public housing agencies, owners of multifamily properties, and state housing agencies can work together to reduce the cost of housing. 

The Streamlining Rural Housing Act is just one piece of the ROAD to Housing.  We are making housing more affordable.  I co-sponsored the bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act.  The bill offers loans, grants, and rental assistance to rural communities.  Veterans will also benefit from the ROAD to Housing Act.  I co-sponsored both the VA Home Loan Awareness Act and the Veterans Affairs Loan Informed Disclosure (VALID) Act.  These will help more veterans become homeowners.  They make it easier for veterans to access the resources they need to benefit from the VA Home Loan Program. 

I also co-sponsored the Housing Supply Frameworks Act, led by Rep. Mike Flood.  This directs HUD to work with state and local governments.  Together, they will develop best practices on zoning and land-use policies. 

Senate Republicans are working to enable more Nebraskans to become homeowners.  The One Big Beautiful Bill permanently raises the low-income housing tax credit.  The bill gives Nebraskans an extra 12% in tax credits to build more affordable housing.  The One Big Beautiful Bill helps local governments, housing developers, and hardworking Americans.  People seeking affordable housing will have the resources they need to develop their communities. 

Eliminating conflicting requirements and enhancing efficacy will build more homes in Nebraska.  We will stop delayed approvals and poor communication.  We won’t hold developers back.  Common sense housing reform benefits rural communities.  It benefits hardworking Nebraskans.  It benefits local businesses and creates jobs.  It builds and sustains the Good Life. 

My team and I are here to serve you.  Contact us anytime by phone at 202-224-4224.  You can also view my website at http://www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact.