OPINION: Bill is first step to address housing crisis
Mar. 21—Our housing crisis in New Mexico is driving up costs and making home ownership more unaffordable with each passing year. Something needs to be done to allow our housing stock to catch up to our demand. That is not happening right now. We can, however, take steps to make housing more plentiful and reasonably priced.
Our biggest challenge comes from an unpredictable and over-long permit process. Regrettably, our zoning laws make it difficult to build more housing and alleviate the crisis. A new bill in the legislation, Senate Bill 312, would go a long way toward changing the dynamics in housing. We all support proper zoning in our state, but it should be done in a fair and reasonable way, without people using the appeal system to delay all projects to death. SB312 would limit appeals to those directly impacted by the project.
Everyone would still be able to voice their opinions and concerns, but if approval is granted, only those directly impacted would be able to appeal. Right now anyone, with any agenda, can appeal and tie up projects for years.
The bill would also reduce unnecessary delays. Opponents of new housing use the zoning process to slow down and ultimately kill projects. If local governments want to turn down a project, that is their right, but the lengthy appeals process used to kill projects already approved just reduces the housing stock and drives up prices.
SB312 is a good first step in the process to build more housing around the state, without the endless lengthy appeals process that people who aren't directly impacted by the process use to kill construction jobs and deny decent living places for New Mexicans.
Jeneva Martinez
Roswell
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