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Gwynn Center report: Nearly half of Nevada renters are 'excessively cost burdened' as housing supply lags demand
Summary
Researchers presented a statewide study funded with ARPA dollars showing Nevada has one of the smallest shares of affordable rental units for extremely low-income households, slow multifamily production in Clark County and a long list of policy options local and state leaders can pursue.
A state-commissioned study released April 16 found Nevada faces a severe shortage of housing that low- and moderate-income residents can afford, with “nearly half of Nevada’s renters [being] excessively cost burdened,” Jill Tolis, executive director of the Gwynn Center for Policy Priorities, told the Las Vegas City Council.
The nut graf: The Gwynn Center and researchers at UNLV said rising rents and home prices far outpaced income growth over the last decade, leaving many working households unable to find affordable housing. The team offered 17 evidence-based policy options focused on land and infrastructure, zoning, permitting, construction workforce and demand-side tools such as vouchers.
The study, funded with American Rescue Plan Act money and completed during the 2023–2024 legislative interim, combines 53 interviews, a 15-question open survey, and quantitative analysis. Nicholas Erwin, research director at UNLV’s LEAD Center for Real Estate, said Nevada ranks last among selected states for available rental homes per 100 extremely low-income renter households.
Tolis highlighted several findings the council said were central to city policy discussions: a growing gap between median gross rent and household income, a sharp decline in vacancy rates since 2010, and a narrow ‘‘missing middle’’ in housing stock — duplexes through fourplexes — that make up less than 7 percent of the market.
Erwin framed the supply shortfall as the central cause: “So many people moved here, increased our demand, and we just haven't been able to keep up that supply,” he said during the presentation.
The researchers recommended a policy menu rather than a single fix: expanding the affordable housing trust fund, creating a middle-income housing tax credit, funding a statewide land inventory and targeted upzoning to allow missing-middle housing, reducing parking and lot-size minimums where appropriate, and investing in construction apprenticeships to rebuild Nevada’s skilled trades pipeline.
Council members asked about topics outside the study’s scope. Councilwoman Olivia Diaz raised housing stability and the needs of seniors on fixed incomes; Tolis said the study focused specifically on affordability and noted eviction-process and stability reforms are being discussed at the legislative level. Councilwoman Sandra Seaman asked whether production differences between Reno and Las Vegas are largely zoning-driven; staff and researchers said zoning is a major factor and pointed to Washoe County’s relatively greater land availability as another reason.
The report will be available to the public; presenters encouraged local leaders to pair state action with neighborhood-level community engagement when considering zoning or incentive reforms. Mayor Berkeley thanked the team for the “sobering” presentation and noted its relevance as the city weighs housing and infrastructure decisions.
Ending: The council took the item as a presentation only; no action was requested or taken. The Gwynn Center and UNLV team offered to meet with council offices and city staff for follow-up questions and to support local policy choices.
