Senate calls for interim committee to study land use, housing supply issues

The Idaho Senate on Monday called for the creation of a new interim committee to study land use issues and their effect on the housing supply in Idaho.

Sen. Ali Rabe, D-Boise, co-sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 103, which calls for the creation of the interim committee.

Rabe works as executive director of Jesse Tree, a Boise-based nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to local families in danger of being evicted.

While presenting the resolution Monday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Rabe said housing availability and affordability remain two of the top issues for Idahoans.

“The intention is to pull together stakeholders through the interim (when the Idaho Legislature is not in session), discuss why more housing isn’t being built in Idaho, identify barriers to more housing being built, and come up with some solutions with a group of stakeholders,” Rabe said. “As you all know, our rapid population growth in the state has increased demand for housing, driving up costs, and many Idahoans are struggling to find housing they can afford.”

The interim committee would be designed to include legislators, planners, architects, Realtors, homebuilders and other industry representatives. If the Idaho House of Representatives also adopts the resolution, the interim committee would report its findings and recommendations to the Idaho Legislature next year.

Rabe said the interim committee was patterned after a successful working group from Montana that issued recommendations that reduced red tape and expanded housing opportunities.

“We have a really unique opportunity to look at some proactive solutions that will prevent our state’s housing crisis from worsening and that hopefully we can preserve our economy, our quality of life and our workforce here in Idaho,” Rabe said.

Without any debate, the Idaho Senate voted 23-10 to adopt the resolution Monday.

Senate Joint Resolution 103 heads next to the Idaho House of Representatives for consideration.

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