Wyoming lawmakers recently concluded this year’s general session without passing any affordable housing bills, despite housing being a top priority for the Legislature. Reports indicate that the state will need between 20,000 to 38,000 new homes by the end of the decade.
Despite six proposed bills aimed at making building easier by removing barriers or providing funds, five were killed without discussion. One of the bills, House Bill 68, sought to expand tax increment financing (TIF) to incentivize the construction of affordable housing, but it was not heard.
The only affordable housing bill that was discussed, Senate File 40, faced an amendment in the House that restricted a city’s ability to charge affordable housing fees. This amendment was deemed a violation of Senate rules, leading to the bill’s failure to advance.
While bills related to property tax relief and squatter removal were successfully passed, the failure to advance affordable housing bills has disappointed housing advocates, including the Wyoming Community Development Authority and builders. Lawmakers expressed willingness to revisit the issue if the House agreed to drop the controversial amendment, but this never occurred.
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