A Rare Bipartisan Solution: Using Federal Lands to Ease Housing Shortages
In an era of political division, the U.S. housing crisis has led to a rare point of agreement between the Democrat and Republican presidential campaigns. Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump support the idea of using federally owned lands for housing construction. Their running mates, Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. J.D. Vance, recently discussed the proposal during a debate, with Vance strongly backing the use of non-protected federal lands for housing development. Meanwhile, Walz emphasized the importance of protecting federal lands while questioning the approach.
The U.S. is facing a significant housing shortage, with estimates ranging between 1.5 and 5.5 million units needed. With over 25% of the country’s land owned by the federal government—rising to 50% in Western states—there is bipartisan interest in exploring this underutilized resource to help bridge the housing gap.
In Congress, bipartisan bills like the HOUSES Act and the Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnerships Act support using federal lands for residential development. These measures aim to provide relief, particularly in the Mountain West, where large swaths of federal land exist.
However, economists caution that this is not a cure-all solution. Much of the federal land is far from urban centers, and environmental concerns present another challenge. Any policy needs to ensure that new developments focus on affordability rather than luxury homes, targeting the lower-income housing market that’s most in need. Although not a complete solution, this strategy could play a valuable role in addressing the U.S. housing crisis.
Source: CoStar News
Author: Moira Ritter