• Mid-Session Legislative Update

    Mid-Session Legislative Update

    April 19 • 12:00pm – 1:00pm • Zoom

    Thank you for attending our recent event, the Mid-Session Legislative Update. Thank you to our presenters Michael Dahl of HOME Line, and Alysen Nesse of Hylden Advocacy & Law. We were also thankful to be joined by lawmakers Minnesota House Housing Committee Chair Rep. Michael Howard (51A – DFL), and Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee Chair Sen. Lindsey Port (55 – DFL).

    A recording of the event, slide deck, and chat questions are now available.

    Brian Muhs

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  • Join us for a 2024 Legislative Preview

    Thursday, February 8, 8:00-9:30am • Carpenters Union Hall • 730 Olive St, St. Paul, MN 55130

    Join Minnesota Legislators, political insiders, and other housing advocates as we preview Minnesota’s 2024 Legislative Session. Networking will begin at 8:00 am with a program running from 8:30 to 9:30 am. Light breakfast and coffee will also be provided.

    Register Here to Attend

    Please consider supporting this event! Contact Luke Avery for more information.

    Brian Muhs

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  • More than $2B for Housing and Homelessness this Legislative Session will Stabilize and Save MN Lives

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PRESS STATEMENT

    Landmark 2023-2024 $2B Legislation for Housing and Homelessness will be Life-Changing for Minnesotans throughout the State


    As the legislative session ends, MHP is excited to join in celebrating a historic more than $2 billion housing and homelessness investment that creates new opportunities for thousands of Minnesota families to have access to safe, stable homes they can afford. “This landmark legislation is about so much more than housing,” says Anne Mavity, MHP Executive Director, “it will truly transform lives and communities.”

    MHP has advocated for transformative housing solutions for decades; we are gratified this legislature has prioritized housing as a top issue. “We convened housing advocates in January 2022 to set a higher bar for the legislature at $2 billion, a level which more closely reflects the real housing needs for Minnesotans, and are thrilled that this goal has been met this biennium,” says Libby Murphy, MHP Director of Policy. “We are beyond grateful to the multitudes of advocates and legislators who worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality.”

    The more than $2 billion housing investment will impact Minnesotans at every level of the housing continuum from renters to first-time homebuyers and beyond, and includes $1 billion in appropriations, funds from a metro-wide sales tax, investments in the bonding bill, and health and human services for homelessness prevention and services.

    MHP is looking forward to keeping this powerful momentum going, to ensure that ongoing, stable funding for housing will provide a place to call home for Minnesotans in every corner of our state for years to come.

    Jenny Jones

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  • The 2023 Legislative Session in Review!

    The 2023 Legislative Session in Review!

    In December of 2021, MHP convened partners and invited them to join us in asking the Minnesota Legislature to invest $2B in 2022. Gridlock had us come back in 2023, again asking for $2B. On Jan 11, 2023, MHP and our partners held a rally in the Capitol Rotunda. The crowd in the rotunda chanted “$2B in 2023!” Now that lawmakers have passed all the budget bills, it is clear that lawmakers heard that rallying call and delivered.

    Housing Omnibus Bill: $1B additional one-time, $50M additional on-going, and a nearly $400M/year in 7-county metro

    One of the biggest highlights of this session is the $1B in additional direct appropriations to Minnesota Housing. Minnesota Housing’s FY24-25 budget is 850% greater than its current base budget. The Housing Omnibus bill makes critical investments throughout the housing continuum. This biennium, Minnesota Housing will have over $600M in direct state appropriations to produce and preserve more single-family homes, manufactured home parks/cooperatives, and multifamily rental homes. Minnesota Housing will have more than $450M in resources to increase access and provide choice and opportunity for one’s housing through rental assistance, homebuyer counseling and financial assistance. 

    Additionally, the Housing Omnibus bill includes a seven-county metro wide sales tax. The tax will raise nearly $200M per year in coming years. These resources will be distributed among metro based public housing authorities and city and county governments. 25 percent of the funds will fund rental assistance, 25 percent of funds will go directly to cities, and 50 percent of the funds will go to counties. Cities and Counties can use these resources for emergency rental assistance, to support nonprofit housing developers, and build and preserve more affordable homes. Download the final spreadsheet for the Housing Omnibus Bill here.

    Taxes

    Housing was a top priority for the tax committees, as lawmakers provided property tax relief to homeowners and renters. Lawmakers significantly expanded the Renter’s Credit and made it easier for renters to claim their credit. As a result of the bill, an estimated 119,000 more Minnesotans will receive the credit.  The bill also increases the property tax refund for homeowners. Lawmakers provided a one-time boost to both the renter and homeowner property tax refunds.  Another significant change was to the 4d tax classification will result in over $60M in property tax savings for participating units. 

    Owners of multifamily rental homes will see their property taxes assessed at a single .25 rate. The tax bill also includes an additional $40M for the workforce and affordable homeownership program, establishes a local county housing aid program and funds it at $45M this biennium, and creates a credit to incentivize manufactured home park owners to sell to existing residents. In addition to housing-specific line items in the bill, the bill funds the Minnesota Child Tax Credit. It’s not clear yet how many families will receive the credit, but it will drastically reduce child poverty in Minnesota. And, Tribal nations will get aid, which can be used for housing.  

    Bonding: Nearly $76M in housing and $21M in shelter

    In the final hours of session, the Legislature passed two bonding bills. A cash bill invests $850.7M and the other invests $1.3B from the proceeds of general obligation bonds, $219.2M from the Transportation Fund, and $224.9 from the General Fund. The bills invest $30M in cash and $41.87M in general obligation bonds for public housing rehabilitation. The bill also includes $3M for a Greater MN Housing Program and $1M to the City of Minneapolis for Satori Village. There is over $21M in funding to five specific emergency shelters.  

    Health & Human Services: Nearly $200M

    The Health and Human Services bill includes $100M in one-time funding in shelter capital, a $30M increase in FY24-25 and $55M in FY26-27 in the Emergency Shelter Program, $6M this biennium and next for transitional housing, $30M FY24-25 and FY26027 in Homeless Youth Act, $4.25M in FY24-25 and $2.5M in FY26-27 in Safe Harbor, and $850K inFY24-25 and $1.55M inFY26-27 for the Homeless Management Information System. Hennepin and Ramsey Counties will each receive $11.4M in one-time funding to provide services to people experiencing homelessness. The bill includes modifications to the Housing Support Program to allow individuals with unearned income to keep more money.  

    Environment and Climate:

    The Environment and Climate Omnibus invests $39M for pre-weatherization and weatherization activities and  funds a number of programs to help homeowners afford things like heat pumps and electric panels. The bill establishes the Minnesota Climate Innovation Authority/Green Bank. The Green Bank can fund housing related activities that incorporate clean energy technologies.  The bill changes the building code process to help Minnesota achieve an eighty percent improvement in annual net energy consumption by 2036. Several of the state’s investments will help leverage new Federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) 

    Brian Muhs

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  • A Constitutional Amendment for Housing

    Visit OurHomesMN.org for information!

    Because we need to ensure the state is making the ongoing investments required to truly address our current housing crisis.

    Our campaign principles include race equity, sustainability and climate resilience, uplifting rural voices, accessibility, and ensuring frontline leaders and grassroots groups are decision-makers and campaign leaders.

    The constitutional amendment for housing will create a:

    • Homeownership Opportunity Fund
    • Rental Opportunity Fund (including a minimum investment of $100 million annually in universal rental assistance/Bring it Home, MN)
    • Household & Community Stability Fund.

    The funds are broad and flexible, able to accommodate innovative new concepts as well as existing programs, funds, and financing. A council of up to 24 people will be appointed for each fund to make budget and policy recommendations to the Governor and Legislature, with seats reserved for those with lived experience and frontline and grassroots organizations, among others.

    DRAFT ballot language: A constitutional amendment for housing:

    Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to remove barriers to homeownership, to make our rental housing safe and affordable, and to protect our vulnerable households and communities from displacement and homelessness by increasing the sales and use tax rate beginning July 1, 2025, by three-eighths of one percent on taxable sales until the year 2050?

    MHP is proud to join more than 60 organizations in endorsing a constitutional amendment for housing.

    Learn more at ourhomesmn.org

    Download the one-pager here.

    Download the FAQs here.

    Jenny Jones

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  • MHP’s Executive Director Anne Mavity Testifies in US Senate Subcommittee. 

    MHP’s Executive Director Anne Mavity Testifies in US Senate Subcommittee. 

    On Tuesday, May 2nd, MHP’s Executive Director Anne Mavity testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Subcommittee on Housing Transportation and Community Development. The hearing focused on this year’s “Farm Bill” and the opportunity it represents to preserve deeply needed affordable housing in rural communities.

    Mavity’s testimony builds on the recently released report The USDA Section 515 Program and The Challenge of Preserving Affordable Housing in Greater Minnesota a collaboration between MHP, the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), and Housing Justice Center. Read Mavity’s written testimony from the hearing here. 

    Click to watch Anne Mavity’s Testimony.

    Brian Muhs

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  • The Future of Rural Rental Housing: USDA Sec 515 Research & Remedies

    The Future of Rural Rental Housing: USDA Sec 515 Research & Remedies

    On May 3rd, MHP hosted a webinar based on the report: The USDA Section 515 Program and The Challenge of Preserving Affordable Housing in Greater Minnesota. Guests Ryan Allen, Professor and Associate Dean of Research, Humphrey School of Public Affairs; Dani Salus, Preservation Supervisor, Multifamily Division, Minnesota Housing; and Adam Schiff, Agriculture Legislative Assistance, Office of Senator Tina Smith; and Elizabeth Glidden and Jill Henricksen held a conversation about the future of rural rental homes in Minnesota. Watch the Full Recording: here, and view Presentation slides (PDF): here, Meeting Chat (PDF): here.

    Brian Muhs

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  • MHP’s Legislative Update: Rep. Howard & Sen. Boldon

    MHP’s Legislative Update: Rep. Howard & Sen. Boldon

    Friday, April 14th at 10 a.m. we convened to hear updates directly from lawmakers and community partners about the latest developments in St. Paul. We were excited to be joined by Rep. Michael Howard (DFL – Richfield), and Sen. Liz Boldon (DFL – Rochester). 

    Please contact Libby Murphy at [email protected] with any questions.

    Brian Muhs

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  • MN ERASE Efforts Help Lead to $50M in Emergency Rental Assistance for Minnesota

    MN ERASE Efforts Help Lead to $50M in Emergency Rental Assistance for Minnesota

    On behalf of the Minnesota ERASE Campaign, we thank the Governor, lawmakers, and Minnesota Housing Finance Agency for the passage of bill HF 2271, which includes $50M in emergency rental assistance (ERA) for the Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP)! This will provide critical support to Minnesota families who are struggling to make ends meet.

    The Minnesota ERASE Campaign (End Rental Arrears and Stop Evictions) advocated for lawmakers to approve emergency rental assistance (ERA) before the end of session, and to ensure ERA will reach the lowest income and most marginalized renters. With Minnesotans facing eviction in historically high numbers, emergency rental assistance will help individuals and families remain housed across our state.

    The MN ERASE campaign is affiliated with the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s national ERASE Project. Through the efforts of MN ERASE, advocates elevated the need for emergency rental assistance to government and lawmakers. MN ERASE convened renters, landlords, services providers, housing and redevelopment authorities, and other housing advocates to develop ERA recommendations to Minnesota Housing and lawmakers. We are gratified that the result is an investment in helping our neighbors with lower incomes find and stay in their homes.

    Co-convenors of the MN Erase Campaign include ACER (African Career Education Resource); Housing Justice Center, and MHP. For more information on MN ERASE, go to: mhponline.org/minnesota-erase-campaign/

    Jenny Jones

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  • Our State Surplus Should be Invested in Housing: Ensuring Minnesotans Have a Home is the Best Investment the State Can Make

    Our State Surplus Should be Invested in Housing: Ensuring Minnesotans Have a Home is the Best Investment the State Can Make

    by Anne Mavity, Executive Director, MHP

    Housing investments are an excellent strategy for deploying our state’s historic surplus to leverage long-term, generational benefits for Minnesota. Every corner of Minnesota needs more homes that are affordable to families and seniors and ensure local businesses can recruit the growing workforce they need to expand and thrive.  

    Each year, there are at least three requests to Minnesota Housing for housing project funding for every one that can actually be funded; these projects are shovel-ready right now and once built, will offer safe, decent, stable homes for generations of hard-working Minnesotans.   

    Communities around the state—from Greater Minnesota’s rural areas to cities like Duluth and St. Cloud—are feeling the squeeze of rising costs that have put homes out of reach of too many families. Our state leaders have an opportunity to come together to ensure that all our neighbors have homes from which to build their future.  

    Everyone needs a home – this is a bipartisan solution that can provide a fundamental building block of our State’s success. We need housing stability for all aspects of life: to maintain our health, to hold a job, for our kids to get their homework done. A stable home makes anything possible.  

    It’s time to raise expectations for the level of investments we need in homes for every Minnesotan. Tell your state leaders why housing is so important to you and your family today! 

    Brian Muhs

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