06/11/24
The Western Governors' Association keeps you updated on the latest news in the West. Here are the top stories for the week starting May 12, 2025. (Photos courtesy of Adobe Stock Images, the Office of North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom, the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, and the Office of Utah Governor Spencer Cox).
With states and localities across the country grappling with housing challenges, Western Governors have identified housing as a fundamental issue to tackle this year. Many Governors specifically mentioned housing as a key pillar of their agenda in their State of the State addresses earlier this year and pledged to champion policies that would make housing more accessible and affordable.
Notably, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham chose to leverage the collective resources and knowledge of her fellow Western Governors by spearheading the BRAND West initiative report, which will be released at WGA’s upcoming Annual Meeting in June. The report is the culmination of a year-long effort that engaged housing experts from around our region and across the country. It features case studies from the West and offers actionable policy recommendations to help address the housing crisis.
Elsewhere around the West, many state legislative sessions have wrapped up or are nearing their completion. As promised, Western Governors are signing important housing bills or are otherwise taking action to address housing needs in their states.
In Washington, Governor Bob Ferguson signed a suite of bills last week to address affordable housing. The bills cover everything from property tax relief for veterans to construction incentives for “middle housing.” The Governor also signed House Bill 1217, which protects Washington families from sudden, large rent increases.