House committee schedules North Las Vegas hearing on federal land in Clark County
The House Committee on Natural Resources announced plans Wednesday to hold a special hearing in North Las Vegas later this month to discuss changes in the management of federal land that could produce more affordable housing and free more property to charitable organizations.
Rep. Cresent Hardy, R-Nev., and committee Chairman Rob Bishop, R-Utah, will convene the oversight hearing at 9 a.m. in the council chambers at North Las Vegas City Hall.
According to a release from the House committee, Bureau of Land Management regulations are driving up the cost and availability of public land in Clark County. As a result, more first-time buyers and other Nevada residents are being priced out of the new-home market while charities struggle to find affordable property on which to build facilities for homeless youth or people with disabilities, the release said.
Hardy is pushing for the BLM to convey more land for development in Clark County and speed the process of issuing special-use leases for charitable groups.
According to the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors, the median price of homes sold in June was $235,000. That’s roughly double what it was when the housing market bottomed out in January 2012 but still down from the market’s peak of $315,000 in June 2006.
Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Find @RefriedBrean on Twitter.
