LETTER: Las Vegas is closed

The Review-Journal has recently published several articles highlighting a local shortage of affordable housing. Let’s be clear: There is no housing shortage, affordable or otherwise. Every house that is sold is purchased by someone who affords it, and every apartment that is leased has a tenant who affords it.

Instead, what we have is an excess of people attempting to relocate here. This does not obligate us to build more housing to accommodate them. California politicians and regulators impose crazy policies and requirements. In response, many Californians wish to relocate somewhere else, and Las Vegas is frequently the first stop in their search. But we are not under any obligation to accommodate them.

We should not add more housing just because they want to live here. Instead, we should encourage those leaving California to look elsewhere — places that have water, electricity, transit systems, freeway and boulevard capacity and land for housing. Southern Nevada is full.

We need to just say “no” to more construction, more houses, more apartments, more traffic, more air pollution and more Californians.