- HUD released a report aimed at lowering home construction costs
- HUD secretary Turner called Omaha's 31st and Grant area a success story for opportunity zones
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner visited Omaha to promote opportunity zones and a newly released federal report outlining best practices for lowering home construction costs.
Turner toured the area near 31st and Grant alongside Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and Omaha Mayor John Ewing. The area was designated an opportunity zone during President Trump's first term, and Turner cited it as a successful example of the program.
Opportunity zones provide tax incentives to developers for building in underdeveloped areas.
The visit came one day after HUD released its new best practices for home construction report, which focuses on reducing certain fees and ordering fewer inspections to bring down the cost of purchasing a home.
3 News Now's Jeremy Fredricks asked Turner about the impact that a quicker construction timeframe from fewer inspections could have on safety.
"Those things that are already being done that take away from the time to real construction, add to the cost, which at the end of the day, all of those things go to the consumer. And that makes houses unaffordable," Turner said.
According to HUD, there are 44 opportunity zone areas in Nebraska.
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