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Broad support, technical questions as committee considers shifting state housing program administration to NIFA

Nebraska Legislature, Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee · February 17, 2026

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Summary

Proponents said LB768 would streamline administration of state housing programs by letting DED contract with the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA/NYFA); developers and nonprofits supported the move but asked for safeguards on advisory committees, revolving-loan use and energy-code plan-review language.

Senator Robert Dover presented LB768 to allow the Department of Economic Development to contract with the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (referred to in testimony as NYFA/NIFA) to administer state housing programs including the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, workforce housing and other programs. Director Maureen Larsen of DED told the committee NYFA has experience issuing low-income housing tax credits, tax-exempt bonds and revolving loan administration and argued consolidating administration could reduce duplication and focus state resources on revolving loans that recycle capital into further projects.

Housing developers, nonprofit partners and municipal groups supported the bill. Fred Hoppe, a long-time affordable-housing developer, said many projects already weave NIFA and DED funding together and that centralizing administration would improve coordination. NeighborWorks Lincoln and developers urged refinements: preserving program earmarks, clarity around escrow and award timing, and care when considering replacing grants with revolving loans because subsidies and resale constraints differ by program.

Environmental and code oversight concerns surfaced: a DWEE (Department of Water, Energy and Environment) engineer asked that a provision in the package that would alter statutory energy-code plan reviews for state-funded projects be removed or handled separately, arguing that plan review protects taxpayers and future homeowners in rural areas where local enforcement varies.

Senator Dover and NYFA leadership said reporting, legislative fiscal access and contract terms would be clarified. Senator Dover signaled willingness to work on advisory committee language, escrow mechanics and any technical fixes needed to preserve program identities while improving efficiency. No committee vote was recorded during the hearing.