In April 2026, Nebraska enacted LB1114, formally authorizing Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) as a new tool to finance public infrastructure and support development within city or village boundaries, including inside Omaha city limits.  The legislation received near-unanimous approval (48–1) and was signed into law following an 18-month effort led by the Welcome Home Coalition and Bluestem Capital Partners, with sponsorship from Senator Mike Jacobson and strategic guidance from Neilen Strategy Group. J.P. Platisha, managing director of Bluestem Capital Partners, noted, “The state of Nebraska is vastly short on housing, particularly affordable housing. CIDs seek to provide the economic incentive to increase lot supply across the state, while reducing upfront lot costs by spreading infrastructure expenses over time—helping make homes more affordable.” In addition to residential development, CIDs are expected to be useful for the development of commercial mixed-use and...

A major new investment aimed at addressing Omaha’s housing shortage in the urban core is beginning to move from concept to construction. Front Porch Investments, a nonprofit focused on expanding affordable housing, is now advancing projects tied to a $40 million urban core housing fund backed in part by a streetcar-related bond purchase from the Lozier Foundation. The effort is designed to help deliver up to 1,900 new affordable housing units. Executive Director Jody Holston said the organization has spent the past few months building the framework needed to move projects forward. “We officially launched that fund in January,” Holston said. “In that time, we’ve been focused on moving it into implementation.” That work has included coordinating with the City of Omaha to establish how projects are reviewed and approved, while also working directly with developers to build a pipeline of potential developments. According to Holston, they’re getting close to dollars actually hitting...