HB 937: Weakens local control

Legislator Jordan Redman introduced a new Bill that may have more concerns than solutions.

Idaho’s House Bill 937 may sound like a solution to housing challenges, but for communities like Coeur d’Alene and across Kootenai County, it raises serious concerns about local control, fairness, and transparency. 

At its core, this bill would require cities to approve multifamily housing projects on land owned by religious organizations without the traditional public process. That means no meaningful public hearings, no conditional use permits, and no ability for local elected officials to weigh community impacts. If a proposal meets basic criteria, it must be approved.

This represents a significant shift away from local decision-making. Our cities have spent decades building comprehensive plans that reflect infrastructure capacity, neighborhood character, and long-term growth strategies. H0937 bypasses that process entirely. 

Equally concerning is the creation of a special category of land use. By granting preferential treatment to religious-owned land, the bill introduces an uneven playing field for property owners and developers. It also allows long-term lease arrangements, which could enable private developers to benefit from streamlined approvals that others do not receive.

This is not about opposing housing or growth. Kootenai County is growing, and we need thoughtful, well-planned solutions. But those solutions should come through local collaboration, not state mandates that remove community input.

Once local control is weakened in one area, it becomes easier to do so in others. That is a precedent worth carefully considering.

We can support housing while still respecting the voices of local residents and the planning processes that guide responsible growth. House Bill 937 moves us in the opposite direction.

THOMAS SANNER

Coeur d’Alene