LINCOLN- Affordable housing and mental health care are the key topics in previous interviews, that held to be true going into this interview.

Pillen and Blood agreed that Nebraska needs to build more affordable housing and improve how it delivers mental health care. They disagreed on how they’d pursue change.

Pillen said his plan "Would be to inspire the communities to come together and solve problems. The governor’s seat can certainly help really large organizations understand (that) they need to play a role in helping get those infrastructure costs and invest."

Blood said she would first distinguish between workforce housing and affordable housing. She noted that money needs to be assigned with a purpose and not just thrown at these housing projects. She finished by noting, "We have to work with local government. There are, especially in our more rural areas, a lot of older buildings that have been zoned for commercial that we could retrofit to make into housing."

In regard to mental health care, candidates focused on different aspects.

Pillen was uncertain of the specific solution but did offer that, "We need more people, we need more young people to be incentivized and see the calling and have the help of the calling to be trained to be mental health specialists, because there are not enough people. Second would certainly be the mandates around the delivery of care."

Blood pointed to building mental health facilities and again, better-assigning dollars spent. Blood emphasized that we "Need to get certifications for health care workers that can help. We can get people trained in counseling. We have got to get more psychologists. That’s why telemedicine is so important and broadband is important."

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