Alexis Hill’s “Temporary” Rent Caps: Nothing Lasts Longer Than a Quick Fix in Politics

Make sure you take the time to watch the video Alexis Hill is running about her quest for Nevada Governor.

The Nevada Independent reports Washoe County Commissioner and now gubernatorial candidate Alexis Hill is floating the idea of “temporary rent caps.” Sounds comforting, right? A band-aid solution wrapped in political ribbon just in time for campaign season. But here’s the question Reno and Nevada voters should be asking: once something gets enacted in government, is it ever truly temporary?

History says no.

Temporary taxes have a way of sticking around. Temporary regulations tend to grow roots. And “emergency measures” are famous for becoming permanent policy. Once a new law or cap is on the books, the political machine rarely has the courage—or the votes—to roll it back.

Hill’s proposal may sound like a lifeline to renters facing skyrocketing costs. But let’s be honest: rent caps don’t build housing. They don’t increase supply. They don’t address permitting delays, land use fights, or construction costs. They just kick the can down the road, freezing the problem until it re-emerges even worse.

And here’s the other thing: landlords and developers don’t disappear when caps appear. They just stop building, stop investing, or shift their money elsewhere. The long-term effect? Fewer rentals, less housing stock, and higher prices for the people caps were supposed to protect.

So is Alexis Hill offering leadership—or campaign-season pandering? Is this really about solving Nevada’s housing crisis, or about earning a headline and checking a progressive policy box?

Nevadans deserve real solutions—like incentivizing affordable housing construction, reforming zoning, and cutting the red tape that strangles supply. Instead, we’re being sold the word “temporary” as if it means something in politics.

Here’s the reality: once enacted, very little in government is ever temporary. And voters should be wary of any candidate who sells them on that illusion.

We ponder if the Reno Sparks Association of Realtors were aware Hill supported ‘temporary rent caps’ when they shelled out $2,500 back in 2024.