Ms. Hamilton — Explained that low rates, extra money, remote work, and increased space needs boosted demand for housing.
Ms. Hamilton — Said demand increases met supply restrictions, raising prices, and attributed Idaho's long-term higher prices mainly to supply constraints.
Ms. Hamilton — Her explanation about demand and supply was acknowledged.
Ms. Hamilton — The question was directed to her.
Ms. Hamilton — Said lower birth rates may reduce long-run housing demand, but Idaho still faces short- and medium-term undersupply.
Ms. Hamilton — Linked housing affordability and availability to later family formation and fewer children.
Ms. Hamilton — Said she had not seen Idaho-specific polling, but surveys show many people prefer single-family homes while making tradeoffs for affordability and commute.
Ms. Hamilton — The question was directed to her.
Ms. Hamilton — Said Idaho localities are generally similar to restrictive zoning patterns seen nationwide, though some have taken steps to enable more housing supply.
Ms. Hamilton — The question was directed to her.
Ms. Hamilton — Responded that she had not been involved in Hill discussions, but had seen proposals to open limited federal land to construction.
Ms. Hamilton — Asked for closing thoughts before the next witness was called.
Steve Berch — Steve Berch discussed the housing affordability problem in depth, saying he would support older-town, smaller-lot housing models and then raising concerns that private hedge funds and other large firms are buying homes, turning housing from a local market into a national product. He argued that out-of-state cash buyers and private firms are driving prices up, questioned why prices have risen everywhere rather than only in hot markets, and suggested that government may have a macro-level role in understanding and addressing the issue. He also asked whether wealthy interests are redefining the housing market and noted that more research data would be helpful to explain why prices surged and stayed high, with a later reference echoing his earlier point.
Elaine Price — Elaine Price questioned who new homes are intended for given declining birth rates and population concerns, then followed up by asking whether Idaho buyers want to rent or buy and noting a preference for single-family homes. She also asked whether zoning is actually a problem in Idaho and whether local governments have been consulted, tying the discussion together around whether current housing development and zoning policies match real housing demand.
Lucas Cayler — Asked about reclaiming federally controlled land in Western states for private ownership or development.
Mr. Cargill / Chris Cargill — Was introduced as the next witness and invited to introduce himself and his representation.
Chris Cargill — Chris Cargill was introduced to the committee and then identified himself as being with Mountain States Policy Center, thanking the committee for the opportunity to speak and beginning his testimony on the topic at hand.
Chris Cargill — The committee hands the question to Chris Cargill, who responds by agreeing that the core issue is public misunderstanding of housing policy and points to Washington State as an example.
Barbara Ehardt — Barbara Ehardt addressed Chairman Ehart and asked for permission to introduce a policy director, then proceeded to bring the assistant/policy director forward.
Barbara Ehardt — Barbara Ehardt is addressed as the chair during the committee’s question-and-answer exchange, with multiple speakers thanking or referring to her as Madam Chair/Chair Ehart while she manages the discussion and responds to the witness.
Madeline Clark / Maddie Clark — A policy director/analyst with Mountain States Policy Center was invited to testify and introduced herself.
Maddie Clark — Introduced herself as senior policy analyst at Mountain States Policy Center and previewed updated housing research.
Emily — Clark referenced Emily's earlier remarks about land availability barriers.
Mr. Cargill — The question references Cargill as the person who may answer the polling question.
Mr. Wheatley — Mr. Wheatley introduced himself and said he had not prepared remarks, then went on to argue that Idaho already approves a high number of building permits per capita and that any approval process should still allow enough review time to ensure housing safety and quality. He cautioned against blanket approval that could lead to future problems for homebuyers, and concluded by thanking the committee for the opportunity to speak.
Richard Cheatum — Representative Cheatum asks for clarification on the single-stair mid-rise model, specifically how many stories are contemplated, then broadens the discussion to concerns about institutional buyers purchasing homes, especially single-family units. He follows by expressing some disagreement with the witness’s assessment and pivots to questions about missing-middle housing and whether the decline of R-1 zoning is intentional, noting increased density in typical R-1 districts.
Ms. Hamilton — Her remarks on smaller lots, financing, and the missing middle were being discussed.
Ms. Hamilton — The comments were directed to her as part of the ongoing housing discussion.
Ms. Hamilton — Her prior points were acknowledged as reasonable but incomplete.
Ms. Hamilton — Responded that research suggests the 2020 price run-up was driven by COVID-era federal response, low interest rates, extra money, and remote work.
Emily Hamilton — The chair calls forward Emily Hamilton, a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, formally introduces her, and she begins her testimony by identifying herself as an economist at the Mercatus Center and referencing her housing policy research.
Emily Hamilton — Emily Hamilton discusses how housing regulations shape what can be built and, in turn, housing affordability. She notes that single-stair apartment buildings are currently limited to three stories, while some states are considering allowing four to eight stories. She then explains that zoning constraints and related rules can make single-family and build-to-rent development more attractive to investors, and argues that easing housing construction is the best path to expanding homeownership opportunities. Finally, she says she would like to see more attention to minimum lot size requirements at the state and local level so smaller-lot single-family homes and townhouses can be built.