Announcements
CSG West Annual Meeting Update 
The CSG West team, our chair, Assemblymember Gipson, and the California Host Committee are working quickly to identify new 2023 dates for the 76th CSG West Annual Meeting, which was postponed due to ongoing labor disputes affecting Southern California. We appreciate the understanding of our members and partners as we navigate this change. More information will be coming soon. In the meantime, please get in touch with us if you have any questions at csgwam@csg.org
Colorado River Forum to Convene September 12-15 in Wyoming 
CSG West is pleased to announce that this year’s Colorado River Forum will convene September 12-15 in Pinedale, Wyoming. This annual forum brings together legislators from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as other key stakeholders, to review and discuss issues and opportunities related to the Colorado River Basin.

Policymakers will be updated on legislative actions impacting the region, as well as reports on federal, state, tribal, and local initiatives aimed at managing the water resource, protecting fisheries and environment, infrastructure, economies, and people of the Colorado River Basin. Issues of discussion will include:
  • Consequences and Impacts of the Seven State Agreement

  • The Current State of the Colorado River System Hydrology

  • Wyoming Natural Diversity Data Base: Flood Irrigation and Ecological Benefits to Green River Basin of Wyoming

  • Conservation, Fisheries, and Wetlands in Wyoming

  • Industrial Water Use in Wyoming

  • 2026 and Beyond: Key Considerations for Future Governance
CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award Deadline is Today
The CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award recognizes the outstanding work of 20 up-and-coming elected and appointed officials from across the country who not only exemplify strong leadership skills but have also demonstrated a true commitment to serving the citizens of their state/territory.

Any state official age 40 or under is eligible to apply. Nominations for the 20 Under 40 Leadership Award can be emailed to LeadershipDevelopment@csg.org. Please include title, name, and email of a nominee. A nominee may also apply directly and include a letter of nomination.

Award winners will be recognized at the 2023 CSG National Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina December 6-9. All required materials are due by 8 p.m. Pacific today, August 10.
Housing News
Photo courtesy of Craig T. Kojima /
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Hawaii Governor Signs Emergency Proclamation Addressing Housing Crisis
In a move to combat Hawaii’s escalating housing crisis, Governor Josh Green signed an emergency housing proclamation on July 17, aimed at expediting development processes and alleviating the state’s acute shortage of housing units. The proclamation builds on the Hawaii Legislature’s wide-ranging, recent efforts to address housing affordability, supply, and homelessness.

Hawaii is at the forefront of the nation's most unaffordable housing markets, with median home prices nearly three times the national average and housing costs a primary contributor to outmigration. An annual income of $252,000 is needed to afford a new median-priced home, leaving essential workers including nurses, firefighters, and teachers caught in a frustrating bind – earning too much to qualify for government-affordable housing, yet falling short of the income threshold. The implications of the housing crisis are especially profound for Native Hawaiians, more of whom now reside in the continental U.S. than in Hawaii, and who comprise 40% of the homeless population within the state itself.
CSG News & Resources
Housing’s Hurdles: States turn to new legislation to remedy affordable housing issues
Lingering fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic placed an immense economic burden on countless Americans. Since 2020, the housing market has experienced the brunt of its weight, remaining in a volatile state.

Deemed at an “inflection point” by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, the homebuying market’s record 2021 was followed by increased interest rates in 2022 that helped slow purchases in a market lacking inventory. Due to limited supply, costs for homes and rentals alike continued to soar in unison with rising rates.
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