When Emma Goabel first moved into her apartment, broken appliances and a faulty lock made the space nearly unlivable. For a full month, she and her roommate couldn't properly secure their home.

“We couldn't lock our door at night,” said Goabel, 20. “We just locked our bedroom doors at night [and] pray[ed] for the best. They said it wasn't that big of an issue.”

Goabel’s experience isn’t unique in Nevada’s tight rental market, where rising prices and deteriorating housing conditions are increasingly common. Now, state lawmakers are mounting a multi-pronged effort to tackle the crisis, targeting everything from rental protections to homebuyer assistance and the release of federal land for new development.

A Guinn Center report shows that housing costs have outpaced income since 2020, leaving over half of renters spending more than 35% of their earnings on rent.

Rent Stabilization Proposals Resurface

Among the key proposals this legislative session is AB280, a rent cap bill sponsored by Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas). The measure would limit annual rent increases to 5% for seniors and those on Social Security for 18 months beginning in July.

“I brought back the same bill. It's a very simple bill,” Jauregui said. “It is a pilot program to stabilize rent and give those people who need the most assistance, the assistance right now.”

Though the measure saw some bipartisan support previously, it was vetoed by Governor Joe Lombardo and now faces renewed opposition from real estate groups who once backed it.

“It's no longer a pandemic … we need to let the market figure itself out,” said Azim Jessa, executive board member of Nevada Realtors, who pointed to falling rents across the state in late 2024.

But others remain steadfast in their support, especially those familiar with the challenges faced by vulnerable renters. One former Adult Protective Services worker, speaking anonymously, recounted a case in Fallon involving a disabled senior couple living in squalid conditions who were later evicted.

“It was in complete disarray. There were holes in the roof, holes in the walls, there was a mice infestation. There were mushrooms growing in the walls,” they said. “Our duty [is to] protect our elderly, our disabled, as a community.”

Ross Kinson, president of the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council, echoed the concern: “We're not doing a good enough job of taking care of our older community and at a national level, we're actively working to make sure that they're even worse off personally.”

Strengthening Tenant Rights

Another revived bill, AB223, seeks to tighten standards for rental housing habitability and give renters greater legal recourse.

Assemblymember Venicia Considine (D-Las Vegas), the bill’s sponsor, wants to eliminate vague legal language that she says allows landlords to skirt their responsibilities.

“Tenants that are living with no air conditioning, with doors that don't lock, they're not left-wing people,” Considine said. “They're working class people that are trying to live in a safe environment.”

Under AB223, renters could withhold or reduce rent if landlords fail to fix code violations and would be able to use habitability complaints in court as a defense against eviction.

Accelerating Development and Using Commercial Space

To increase housing supply, Jauregui is backing AB241, which would streamline the development of multifamily housing on commercial properties.

Supporters say it encourages walkable neighborhoods like Reno’s RED District, though affordability remains a concern. Labor leaders, including Kinson, worry the bill doesn’t include strong enough labor standards.

“We should be building local. We should be buying local. We should be staying local because that helps our local communities continue to grow,” Kinson said.

Federal Land and Infrastructure Planning

Another approach backed by Governor Lombardo and lawmakers across party lines: unlocking federal lands. Nevada’s vast federal landholdings limit expansion, and AJR10, introduced by Jauregui, urges Congress to release parcels for development.

Still, some warn this fix may be slow and costly. Kinson, for one, prefers investment in urban infrastructure like public transit. He supports AB256, which would launch plans for a regional train system.

“Good cities become great cities because they invest in their infrastructure [and] public transit,” Kinson said.

Making Homeownership More Attainable

Governor Lombardo is also advancing AB540, a housing investment bill that would inject $250 million in state funds into affordable and “attainable” housing initiatives.

While the bill aims to help middle-income earners, it also exempts some projects from prevailing wage rules — a move that has drawn criticism from labor groups.

“You actually make the problem worse because you’re not paying people enough to live in the very homes that they’re building,” said Wendy Colborne, chief of staff at the Northern Nevada Building & Construction Trades Council.

Developers and real estate organizations argue that waiving wage requirements could help keep home prices in check.

“It doesn't matter how much people earn, because there's not going to be availability or homes for them to be able to buy,” Jessa said. “We want the people who work in Nevada to be able to buy a home in Nevada, and this is a bill that will get us there.”

Help With Interest Rates

Another challenge for first-time buyers is high interest rates. SB193, proposed by Sen. Fabian Doñate (D-Las Vegas), would create a state program offering families up to $15,000 to buy down mortgage interest rates.

“People want to buy a home. They just don't feel like the economy allows them to, and that's what we're trying to do right now,” Doñate said.

The program could save families as much as $100,000 over 30 years. It’s especially relevant for new homeowners like Olivia Claypool, a self-employed cosmetologist who was shocked by the cost implications of her interest rate options.

Originally reported by Lizzie Ramirez in The Daily Independent.