Last night, the Trump Administration made their first announcement with which I disagree.
We need 7 million affordable homes in America and 20% of America’s landmass is owned by the Department of Interior.
— Scott Turner (@SecretaryTurner) March 17, 2025
Today, @SecretaryBurgum and I are announcing a partnership between @HUDgov & @Interior to identify and open under utilized federal lands for affordable housing. pic.twitter.com/p1EU04Ay7B
My initial reaction was a strong negative response to this proposal. Perhaps I’ve watched too many seasons of Yellowstone, but I deeply value keeping American lands pristine and undeveloped—that’s my primary objection. My second concern is the federal government’s involvement in low-income housing. Historically, it rarely turns out well. Lots of people disagreed with me.
Hey, move west. The federal government owns vast swaths of land from the eastern boundaries of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. Far more than you can imagine.
— Tony Lima (@TonyLimaPOL) March 18, 2025
I understand your reflex, but you should look at a map of federal lands west of the Mississippi.
— NavyDigi (@NavyDigi) March 18, 2025
The feds own *way too much* of the land out west, and it really distorts things.
We should sell off at least half of it.
Most of Nevada and New Mexico I barren federal land. If the put the infrastructure in I'd have no problem giving up 20 Sq miles here and there
— Cody (@codysviews) March 18, 2025
Many people wanted me to know the federal government owns wide swaths of land out west and honestly, it's too much.
One of the things East Coasters are just totally unaware of is how much land in the west is owned by the federal government, and how many problems ranging from inconveniences to the serious this causes. Because it’s just not a thing in the East. https://t.co/MLDKUq8VRu pic.twitter.com/7LZR4j3LcD
— Inez Stepman ⚪️🔴⚪️ (@InezFeltscher) March 18, 2025
For those (like me), who weren't aware of the sheer volume of land, this was a helpful map. It does seem like that is a whole bunch of land owned by the federal government.
Most of this land is not even close to a national park. It is not especially beautiful. And often the Feds put a thick web of regulations that disrupt local commerce and ranching. It’s generally a huge PITA that no one east of the Rockies really understands so they say things…
— Inez Stepman ⚪️🔴⚪️ (@InezFeltscher) March 18, 2025
I'm always willing to be corrected. It is the best way to go through life as we all can stand to learn new things. After taking in this new information, I amended my initial thoughts:
lots of comments on this. If the issue is too much land held federally in the west, they should:
— Just Mindy 🐊 (@just_mindy) March 18, 2025
1. return that land to the states and then states can decide the best use
2. sell it to individuals
I still don’t believe low income housing is the solution https://t.co/iark03kJEH
If the federal government is indeed holding an excessive amount of land, it should relinquish control and return it to the states, allowing them to determine its best use. Another option would be to sell the land to private citizens, though ideally not to large-scale developers like Blackrock, who often build homes solely to profit as landlords. Historically, federal attempts at constructing affordable housing have proven ineffective. Instead, local governments should take the lead on such initiatives, enabling market forces to operate more freely.
