• Jamie Long

    City/Town: Minneapolis

    Legislative District: House District 61B

    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

    Candidate responses in italics.

    Q1: Housing plays a critical role in economic stability, health, and quality of life for individuals and families. However, disparities in housing continue to affect communities of color, people with disabilities, rural communities, and other historically underserved populations. What meaningful actions should be taken to acknowledge, address, and eliminate housing inequities and advance housing opportunities for all Minnesotans

    We have a deep need in Minnesota for more homes that people can afford across the state. We have taken meaningful steps in recent years to improve funding for affordable housing, but we need to continue to do more. We also need to remove barriers that exist at the local level to building housing that people need and want across our state.

    Q2: Supportive housing combines affordable housing with support services that help people who face the most complex challenges to live with stability, autonomy, and dignity. Supportive housing provides better outcomes and is fiscally responsible. What will you do to ensure community members who are unhoused or unstably housed receive the support they need to obtain or keep their own homes?

    Supportive housing is a critical resource for our communities. We know that getting stable housing can be a first step to getting on your feet, but having supportive services to help individuals succeed is proven to work. The state needs to continue to do more to help expand our supportive housing options across the state.

    Q3: Homeownership is a way to build generational wealth, provide family and household stability, and support community vibrancy. More and more Minnesotans are priced out of owning a home because of rising housing costs, including purchase price, homeowners’ insurance, and property taxes. What steps will you take to increase opportunities for renters and first-time homebuyers to purchase homes, condos, or cooperative ownership models?

    I’ve supported our efforts to help with first-time home buyer assistance and would like to expand those efforts. I also know that starter homes will benefit when more types of housing are able to be built in communities across the state. I support Rep. Agbaje’s bill as well to prevent properties from being bought up by private equity, which can take them off the market for those looking to purchase a home and build wealth.

    Q4: In the last several years, bipartisan action to streamline building of new homes and apartments has passed in several states, including: allowing for multifamily buildings in select commercial areas, limiting parking requirements, allowing smaller homes on smaller lots, and more homes per lot in residential areas like duplexes, fourplexes, and accessory dwelling units. What reforms do you support to modernize zoning to both enable homes to be more affordable statewide and improve city tax bases?

    I am an enthusiastic supporter of the Yes to Homes campaign! I’m optimistic next session we can make progress on this bipartisan, broadly supported effort.

    Q5: Despite housing being the largest cost in the average household budget, housing receives only a small fraction of the total state budget at just 0.3%. A lack of ongoing reliable funding for housing in Minnesota’s state budget has resulted in an undersupply of stable homes affordable to our workforce, our elders, and our families. In recent years, a constitutional amendment for housing, which would dedicate revenues from a sales tax increase to housing, has gained momentum at the legislature. What revenue options will you champion to more adequately meet our need for reliable funding for homes we can afford?

    I was a strong supporter of the dedicated metro sales tax that is making a real difference in funding affordable housing. I know that is not enough to meet the need, and am committed to looking at all options for how to help fund this critial need.

    Q6: If you have other housing policy priorities, especially specific to your district’s housing needs, please share them here.

    I am committed as a former Climate and Energy Chair to ensuring that new affordable housing is also energy efficient so that we can reduce operation costs for tenants and owners while also protecting our climate.