Latest / The Fiscal Policy Podcast with Fexingo: Government Budgets, Stimulus, and Public Spending
How Government Land Banking Drives Up Housing Costs
Lucas and Luna explore how the federal government owns vast tracts of land in high-demand urban areas—and why it rarely sells. They focus on the Bureau of Land Management's holdings in cities like Las Vegas and Reno, where 85% of land is federally controlled. Lucas explains how this reduces taxable land, inflates prices, and makes housing less affordable. Luna brings data on how land banking by agencies like the General Services Administration and Department of Defense similarly constrains supply. They discuss proposals for land swaps and sales, and why Congress has little incentive to…
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