Republished with permission from Wyoming News Now, a TV news outlet covering the Cheyenne and Casper areas.
Housing and infrastructure continue to be a hot topic across the state, but state leaders voiced concerns at the State Loan and Investments Board (SLIB) meeting on April 23 regarding immigration and access to future housing.
The SLIB held a meeting at the Capitol to discuss housing projects and funding for infrastructure, but some Real ID requirements raised questions as to whether that violates the federal Fair Housing Act.
Earlier this year, the Legislature gave SLIB the task of divvying up $5 million through an "Unmet Housing Needs" grant program.
Officials received 10 times, or $53 million, worth of requests for those funds.
The five-person board, made up of the state’s top elected officials, approved nine of the approximate 23 project applications.
State Auditor Kristi Racines said this will lay the groundwork.
"We did spend the whole $5 million, and I think what I really focused on was projects that provided infrastructure to unlock residential development," she said.
These projects include water, sewer and road infrastructure.
Secretary of State Chuck Gray again brought up amendments requiring the Real ID for applicants for housing so that they would not be given out to "illegal immigrants." Gray also said he opposed “the disbursement of any housing funds to resident aliens.”
This language is already embedded into these programs, allowing only legal citizens to benefit from these subsidies.
“The Constitution provides for resident aliens who are documented, they are here with green card status or they are here as students going to college," said Curt Meier, state treasurer.
But questions were raised as to whether these stipulations violate the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to withhold housing access, selling, financing or renting to protected classes based on race or national origin.
Meier also said it violates Article 1, Section 3 of the Wyoming Constitution, guaranteeing equal civil rights without distinction of race or color.
"But the SAVE Act and the Real IDs that we have here, thanks to the Legislature, that they actually tightened that up," says Meier.
If the program get access to more funding, Racines said they need to create more workforce housing projects for the "middle earners" who make too much to be considered low income, but not enough to access loans for single-family housing.
"We have some really great industries coming in … Kemmerer in particular is one, Rare Earth elements in Upton. And there's nowhere for these folks to live," said Racines.
These projects would be in places like Rawlins, Washakie County Jackson-Teton and Kemmerer for the new businesses entering the state.
Both Gray and Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder released statements about how they proposed amendments to adopt restrictions on illegal immigrants' access to housing grants. Gray’s sought to bar all non-citizens from benefiting from the program, while Degenfelder specified “illegal immigrants.”
The SLIBs' next meeting will be on June 4.
