March 17, 2025
HUD and Interior open 500 million acres of federal land to tackle housing shortage
Task force has no authority to transfer land without Congress
🏘️Housing📋Public Policy🏛️Government
The Interior Department oversees more than 500 million acres of federal land, concentrated in 12 western states including California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) alone administers 244 million of those acres — more than any other single federal agency
HUD Secretary Scott Turner and Interior Secretary 
Doug Burgum announced the Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing on March 17, 2025
The task force cannot transfer any federal land on its own — land disposals require Congressional authorization or existing statutory authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA)
A Nevada precedent under the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act auctioned more than 17,560 BLM acres, but only 30 of those acres were sold directly for affordable housing
The U.S. faces a shortage of roughly 3.8 to 4.7 million housing units depending on the methodology used
Native housing experts raised sovereignty concerns after the announcement, noting the task force shared few details about tribal consultation requirements
🏘️Housing📋Public Policy🏛️Government
People, bills, and sources
Scott Turner
HUD Secretary who co-announced the task force
Doug Burgum
Interior Secretary who co-announced the task force
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Interior sub-agency that administers 244 million acres
Public Housing Authorities (PHAs)
Local government bodies that administer federal housing programs
Congress
Legislative body that must authorize most federal land transfers