GOP and DFL Housing Leaders, advocates unveil Yes to Homes Legislative Agenda

GOP and DFL Housing Leaders, advocates unveil Yes to Homes Legislative Agenda

The bipartisan legislation would expedite the construction of affordable homes

St. Paul, MN - Today, Housing leaders from the Minnesota House and Senate GOP and DFL caucuses joined advocates from across the state to unveil a package of legislation aimed at building more homes, building them faster, and making them more affordable. The Yes to Homes Legislative Agenda takes on Minnesota’s housing crisis by building the types of homes Minnesotans are asking for. 

Minnesota’s housing crisis is untenable. A shortage of over 100,000 homes has led to 600,000 Minnesotans being cost-burdened, paying more than 30% of their income in housing. The average age of a first-time home buyer is now 38 years old, a record high. Eviction filings are through the roof. And there isn't a single county in the state where a family earning the median income can afford the median-priced home. 

“Across the state, from Greater Minnesota to the Twin Cities, there are too many barriers to building the homes we need,” said Senator Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville), chair of the Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee. “The housing crisis is a universal issue that legislators from across the political spectrum are eager to solve, and I’m proud to work alongside my colleagues across the aisle to tackle Minnesota’s housing needs. The Yes to Homes package will smooth out zoning processes, reduce building time and costs, and help towns and cities across Minnesota build the type of homes that are right for their communities. Minnesotans deserve to live in affordable homes that fit their needs, in the communities they love. This legislation brings us one step closer to that future.”

"Housing has become a top three concern for every Minnesotan. From the Iron Range to Minneapolis, housing is at the center of addressing many of the issues we are facing. That is why I am proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to solve the housing shortage in our state,” said Rep. Spencer Igo (R – Wabana Township), Chair of the Housing Finance and Policy Committee in the House. “The ideas and policy we are working on is nothing new, in fact, similar policy has worked here in the past and is working now in other parts of the country. This policy will work to create more diverse housing options that provide affordable options for all Minnesotans. When we have both diverse and affordable options, we create stable homes. With stable homes we create stable communities and a stable Minnesota. Together we can take a step in the right direction and begin fixing the Minnesota housing crisis for everyone."

The Yes to Homes Legislative Agenda includes bills to address Minnesota’s housing challenges in three key ways:

1. Build more homes: Jumpstarting the production of more homes, especially the kinds of homes that too often are torpedoed by over-regulation: starter homes, townhomes and apartments.
2. Build homes faster: Build homes that Minnesotans want faster by providing local leaders with the tools needed to streamline project approvals.
3. Make homes more affordable: Cut costs by eliminating unnecessary regulations that drive up prices, such as excessive parking, requiring HOAs, and mandating luxury materials.

“Whether we are talking to students trying to afford rent, young families trying to afford a home for the first time, or seniors looking to downsize, we hear the same thing from Minnesotans in suburban communities, in the Twin Cities, and in Greater Minnesota - housing costs too damn much,” said Rep. Michael Howard (DFL - Richfield), the DFL lead on the Housing Finance and Policy Committee in the House. “Minnesotans are right. The Yes to Homes legislative agenda recognizes that the status quo is not working. It’s a problem that will deepen and worsen unless we take action, and this package of bills is the statewide solution Minnesota needs.”

“In Minnesota, the median cost of a new single-family home is over $540,000, putting home ownership out of reach for many hardworking Minnesotans,” Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) said. “That is why I am joining a bipartisan group of legislators to champion the Minnesota Starter Home Act. This proposal focuses on cutting red tape to increase the supply of starter homes—empowering the free market to meet demand. By doing so, we can help aspiring Minnesota homeowners and young families achieve the dream of buying their first home.”

Leading the package of legislation will be the Minnesota Starter Home Act, producing homes for first-time buyers and seniors looking to downsize; the More Homes, Right Places Act, building homes where Minnesotans need them, near transit and corridors of commerce; and the Transforming Main Street Act, creating multi-family and mixed-use housing, including homes to rent and condos to own within commercial corridors.

As the housing crisis impacts all of Minnesota, the Yes to Homes coalition reaches across the aisle and across the state to support this legislation. A press release from the advocates helping to lead the Yes to Homes coalition, made up of 25 supporting organizations, can be found here.
 

Video of today’s press conference can be found here. 

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