Chipping Away at the Housing Problem

When it comes to economic development, workforce attraction, and keeping young families rooted in Nebraska, many of our communities face a fundamental bottleneck: housing supply.

While much of the national conversation around housing affordability focuses on high interest rates and construction costs, one piece of the puzzle remains within our own control. Government regulations, outdated land-use policies, and restrictive zoning codes can make it unnecessarily difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to build or fix up the homes our towns desperately need.

In Nebraska, we already have a proven blueprint for encouraging local pro-growth policies. Through programs like the state’s Livestock Friendly County designation, we successfully use statutory recognition to highlight communities that embrace agricultural development and streamline local hurdles. Under this designation, counties hold public hearings and pass local resolutions committing to pro-livestock development policies, which the Nebraska Department of Agriculture then officially certifies.

Maybe it’s time to think about applying that same innovative mindset to housing. What if we created a new statutory framework—managed through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development—that established a Certified Housing Friendly Community (CHFC) program?

To be clear, this doesn’t exist yet, but as we look at ways to clear the path for growth, a concept like this is worth chewing on.

Rooted in Local Control

First and foremost, any conversation about a CHFC program must start with a core Nebraska principle: strict respect for local control.

This would never be a top-down mandate or a state-imposed zoning code. Instead, a CHFC program would be entirely opt-in. It would serve as a voluntary badge of honor for forward-thinking towns and cities that choose to roll out the welcome mat for residential growth on their own terms.

What Might a CHFC Scorecard Look Like?

If a community chose to participate, earning certification would mean demonstrating a commitment to reducing regulatory and administrative barriers. While a formal rubric would need to be built from the ground up with input from local leaders, builders, and policymakers, a future CHFC scorecard could evaluate several key areas:

• Rehabilitating Existing Housing Stock: In many smaller Nebraska towns, the physical houses already exist, but decades of deferred maintenance have left them vacant or uninhabitable. Does the municipality offer smart tools—such as streamlined unsafe-building remediation, tax abatements for major home renovations, or flexible local code enforcement that works with owners to bring older homes up to safety standards?

• Modernized Zoning Code: Does the city allow for flexible residential configurations, such as duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes in appropriate areas, rather than defaulting exclusively to single-family-only mandates?

• Mixed-Use Integration: Are residential housing units permitted as of right or through streamlined processes in commercial zones, helping to revitalize downtown squares and bring upper-story living spaces online?

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): Does local code permit property owners to build backyard cottages, basement apartments, or garage conversions, providing flexible housing options for aging parents or young workers?

• Interlocal & Interstate Trade Reciprocity: Because Nebraska manages electrical licensing at the state level but leaves plumbing and HVAC up to a patchwork of local jurisdictions, builders face massive administrative friction. Does the municipality grant automatic, hassle-free recognition to HVAC and plumbing contractors who hold valid licenses from other Nebraska counties or—especially critical for border communities—from neighboring states?

• Workforce & Training Partnerships: Is the local government actively collaborating with community colleges, high school career and technical education (CTE) programs, or local trade training initiatives to bring the next generation of builders and renovators into the market?

• Pro-Affordability Incentive Tools & Streamlined Permitting: Does the community utilize smart local development tools—such as fee waivers for starter-home developments, predictable design standards, and objective timelines for subdivision plats—to make building entry-level housing financially viable?

• Data-Driven Planning: Does the local government regularly inventory its current housing stock, analyze vacancy and workforce needs, and transparently map out infrastructure capacity to accommodate future growth?

Looking Long-Term: Enhancing Economic Opportunity

Right now, a program like this would primarily function as a powerful signaling tool—a way to market proactive communities to developers and new residents alike.

Looking further down the road, however, a CHFC designation could evolve into something even more impactful. Down the line, achieving Certified Housing Friendly status could serve as a mechanism to enhance eligibility for state development dollars, infrastructure grants, or housing incentives, should future legislative packages make those resources available. It would reward communities that have already done the hard work of cutting red tape, ensuring state investments go where they are most likely to succeed.

Why We Should Start the Conversation

Nebraska’s economic future depends on our ability to attract talented workers, give young people a reason to stay, and welcome new residents to our communities. But those goals become much harder to achieve when buying or renting a home feels out of reach.

A Certified Housing Friendly Community program doesn’t exist yet, and we certainly don’t have all the answers. But by talking about ways to celebrate communities that choose growth, remove regulatory friction for both land use and the building trades, and protect local autonomy, we can start building a better framework for Nebraska’s future.