(The Center Square) – Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo sent a letter to Democratic state leaders last week asking them to support his push for the federal government to release land to help Nevada’s housing market.
The letter, which was sent to Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and House Speaker Steve Yeager, both D-Las Vegas, said the federal government controls 87% of the state’s land.
Lombardo said this situation limits developers in Nevada’s ability to increase housing supply.
The Republican governor said many of Nevada’s rural areas “are currently constrained” due to the lack of “developable land.”
The letter, which was dated Feb. 10, cites Washoe and Clark counties as running out of developable land in the near future. Las Vegas is the county seat of Clark County and the state’s most populous city.
“I have continued to engage with our federal delegation and the President on this issue, and I am seeking your support to advocate for the immediate and systematic release of federal land in Nevada,” the governor wrote.
Lombardo, who became Nevada governor in 2023, urged the Biden administration to free up federal land so the state could use it for housing development. He wrote to the administration twice last year.
The first time was in March when he asked the Biden administration to release more federal land back to Nevada. He requested that former President Joe Biden remove “bureaucratic red tape,” The Center Square reported.
In July, the second time Lombardo wrote a letter, he again asked to eliminate regulations.
“Our communities have to rely on acts of Congress and costly, years-long processes that stand between project conception, land auction, and development in order to implement long-term planning goals and meet rapidly growing population demands,” he said.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of buying a house in Nevada has continued to increase.
In March 2020, the average cost of a Nevada home was $304,194. In February 2025, the average Nevada home goes for $441,190, according to Zillow. Home prices have gone up 45% during this time span.
During Lombardo’s State of the State in January, housing affordability was a top priority, The Center Square reported.
The governor detailed the Nevada Housing Accountability Act, which he said would decrease building fees, promote development and generate a public-private partnership.
Lombardo said Nevada will put “$1 billion in new attainable housing units” statewide.
“By streamlining permits and prioritizing the use of every buildable acre of land for Nevadans – not out-of-state investors looking to cash in – we’re creating a route for housing attainability for all,” the governor said.