From Research to Results: The Coalition Effort Behind Nebraska’s New CID Law

In April, Nebraska passed the Community Improvement District Act (LB1114), creating a new tool for financing public infrastructure within city limits and helping communities support growth while expanding opportunities for housing development. The law is the result of years of research, collaboration, and advocacy led by stakeholders across Nebraska, including the Welcome Home Coalition.

The Welcome Home Coalition brings together leaders from housing, real estate, finance, development, utilities, and related industries to advocate for policies that expand housing opportunities for Nebraska families, first-time homebuyers, and future residents. Under the leadership of E&A CEO Jason Thiellen, who serves as President of the Coalition, Adam Flanagan and JP Platisha with Bluestem Capital Partners, and Perre Neilan and Caitlin Holman with the Neilan Strategy Group; the group has focused on identifying practical solutions to help local communities support growth while reducing barriers to housing development.

In 2023, the Welcome Home Coalition commissioned a study through UNO examining the cost of government regulations on new home construction in the Omaha metro area. The study found that regulatory costs of new single-family homes accounted for roughly 32.8% of total construction costs–significantly higher than the national average of 21.5%. The findings proved that rising costs and local government policies were making starter homes increasingly difficult to deliver at affordable prices.

With these findings, Thiellen and the Welcome Home Coalition worked alongside industry leaders and Nebraska Legislators to advocate for policy solutions that will improve housing attainability for Nebraska families. Those efforts helped pave the way for the Community Improvement District (CID) Act.

CIDs offer a new way to finance public infrastructure such as streets, water, and sewer improvements within city limits. While they share similarities with Nebraska’s established Sanitary and Improvement Districts (SIDs), which are used outside municipal boundaries, CIDs are tailored for supporting development and redevelopment within cities.

No single piece of legislation will solve Nebraska’s housing challenges. LB1114 may be the most important piece of legislation passed for housing and real estate development since TIF was passed in 1979.  The passage of the Community Improvement District Act demonstrates what can be accomplished when research, industry expertise, and public policy makers come together around a common goal. For the Welcome Home Coalition and its members, it represents an major step toward creating more opportunities for attainable housing across the state.