Dear Neighbors,
We’ve had another busy week! Here’s some of what I’ve been up to.
1. Manufactured Homes - Creating More Affordable Housing
- On Wednesday the Housing Committee heard my bipartisan bill which invests a total of $65 million over the next two years through grants and loans to improve park infrastructure, finance the purchase and repair of manufactured homes, and allow residents to purchase parks when an owner looks to sell. Read more about the hearing.
- The entire country is facing an extreme shortage of low-income housing and Minnesota is no exception. Manufactured homes are an important source of affordable housing and fill an important need in the overall housing market. Manufactured homes provide housing to nearly 180,000 Minnesotans, almost all of whom are classified as low or very low income.
- Blaine and Lexington are home to the most manufactured housing of any legislative district in Minnesota, so I look forward to continuing to carry and advocate for this legislation which will make the dream of owning a home a reality for thousands of hard working Minnesotans.
2. Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission Appointment - Improving a Sports Hub
- Last week I was appointed to the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. The Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission oversees the National Sports Center in Blaine, the largest amateur sports facility in the world.
- Blaine serves as the hub for amateur sports in Minnesota, and I look forward to representing our robust sports community on this commission. This is a topic that is very close to our community's heart, so I will work diligently on this commission to ensure Minnesota amateur sports is headed in the right direction.
- You can learn more about the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission here.
3. Funding for Meals and Safety - Creating a Better Minnesota!
- This week we passed several important bills off of the House floor. Here are two in particular which will make a big difference in Minnesotan’s lives.
- On Monday we passed a bill that will provide funding to the Attorney General’s Office for prosecutors to take on violent crime across the state. This is a huge public safety win which will make our whole state a safer place to live.
- On Thursday we passed a bill to provide free school meals for all students! This was a bill I started working on several years ago as an advocate in the Hunger Free Schools coalition, and it was an honor to be able to vote “yes” as a member of the House to pass it into law. Minnesotans pride ourselves on our strong education system, but with one in six students trying to learn on an empty stomach we are not living up to our values. We have the resources to prevent student hunger and it’s our duty to step up and provide the food security families need and the high-quality education our children deserve.
Stay in Touch
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at rep.matt.norris@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-2907. If you have a friend, neighbor, or relative who wants to receive updates about the Legislature, let them know they can subscribe to my email list here, and follow my Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent our community. Please stay in touch!
Sincerely,
Matt Norris, District 32B