Flagstaff, Arizona (azfamily) – The Trump administration created it Task Force To investigate how federal public land can be used for affordable housing.
This is a partnership between the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Agency (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI).
With a wealth of federal land in the southwest, Arizona is a state that can do this.
Cities like Flagstaff have both housing crisis and are surrounded by these federal lands.
Flagstaff declared a housing emergency in 2020, so many people in town said something needs to be done, but they are worried about the impact of construction on federal land.
Coconino County contains 5 million acres of federal land.
Coconino County Supervisor Patrice Horstman He said the government-owned land would be beneficial not only for those who enjoy the outdoors, but also for the economy through tourism. “It’s the main economic engine here in Coconino County,” Holstman said. “We bring in almost a billion dollars in just the Grand Canyon. Many of us live here because we love the beauty of our environment.”
But Flagstaff, like Arizona and many other communities in the country, is facing a housing crisis. Overall, the US has cut housing units of over 7 million. “It’s also really endemic throughout the country, and it hits hard, especially in the mountainous regions of the western part,” Horstman said.
So the Trump administration created it New Task Force They cut through the red tape and focus on building affordable housing on federal land. This idea is nothing new. In 2024, under Biden, 20 million-wide Nevada acres worth $20 million were sold at affordable homes for $2,000.
However, the new plan has some concerns for Flagstaff residents. “We need affordable housing at an extreme level here in Flagstaff,” said Daramarcksman, a resident of Flagstaff. “I don’t think I’ll build a building BLM Land or other protected land makes sense.
Flagstaff is surrounded by national forests, and local George Hamblin said he is worried about how new infrastructure built on these lands will affect forests, wildlife and fire hazards. “For forests with climate crisis and all the forests, that’s a bad idea. You can get rid of more forests,” Hamblin said. “And again, like this year, we are at a very high risk of fire.”
They suggested building instead in town or creating more double or apartments for the house. Holstman is pleased that the need for housing is attracting public attention, but there is a reason the land is not being developed. “Building a house is a very difficult terrain, and most of this is far from the public centre,” she said.
But Horstman said the biggest obstacle is local government costs as federal funds have already been cut. “The problem is, it’s in Coconino County. Again, we want to work in a partnership,” she said. “We want to be part of our solution. We don’t have the funds needed to build a large, affordable housing complex.”
Horstman said he looks forward to a more detailed federal explanation of the program and how the new task force can help local governments achieve this goal financially.
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