Nebraska Lawmakers Hoping to Solve the State's Rural Housing Shortage

Communities across Nebraska report plenty of jobs to go around, but not enough housing for the workers to fulfill the demand.

March 30, 2017, 8am PDT | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

A home on the Platte River, west of Omaha.

Suzanne Tucker

Shutterstock

An Omaha World-Herald editorial calls on the state of Nebraska to solve its rural housing shortage.

"It’s a lament found in rural communities across Nebraska: We’ve got the jobs to be filled — but not enough housing to meet workers’ needs," according to the editorial.

The state's legislature's Business and Labor Committee is considering Legislative Bill 518, which would address the shortage by spending $10.3 million from the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

The state would award competitive housing-related grants to nonprofit development corporations in eligible communities. A one-to-one match in local funds would be required. Counties with a population below 100,000 would be eligible (all but Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy Counties).

After describing the housing situation in the state's rural areas, the editorial calls on the state to approve the bill.

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Editorial: It's time to tackle Nebraska's rural housing shortage

Published on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 in Omaha World-Herald