The Need for Action on Housing is Now

Four former state Housing Finance Agency commissioners from across the political spectrum penned an editorial in this week's Star Tribune: "A house-on-fire alarm for Minnesota housing": "[N]ever have we been more concerned about the state of housing in Minnesota. We need a new and renewed commitment to homes for Minnesotans with the speed, scale and intensity required."

"Here's why Minnesota needs to make a major investment in housing this year, alongside education, health care and economic growth. Investments in stable homes increase the positive impact of other investments. Kids don't learn without stable homes. Stable homes keep people out of expensive emergency rooms. And a growing economy depends on affordable homes near jobs." Read more

MHP's Executive Director Anne Mavity: "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. Our state leaders have an opportunity to come together to ensure that all our neighbors have homes from which to build their future. Read more 

Jan 11: Rally for Housing and 2023 Legislative Session Launch!

January 11th at 1:30-2:30pm, MHP is co-hosting the START WITH HOME rally. We invite our partner organizations to join our call for $2 billion for affordable housing in 2023 and to put housing on the ballot in 2024. 

Currently, total investment across the housing spectrum represents just 0.4% of the overall state budget. With an unprecedented budget surplus and a trifecta at the Capitol, now is the time to address the housing crisis that’s at the root of so many challenges Minnesotans face. Now is the time to Start with Home. Join us at the Capitol Rotunda on January 11th!

Join the Campaign to Put Housing on the Ballot in 2024!

In coalition, we are launching a statewide housing campaign focused on passing a constitutional amendment for housing. It will raise dedicated revenue to go to three funds; the Homeownership Opportunity Fund, the Rental Opportunity Fund (including a minimum of $100M annually for universal rental assistance/Bring It Home, MN), and the Household and Community Stability Fund. The funds are flexible to include innovative concepts as well as existing programs, funds, and financing. Each fund will have a council (with lived experience and grassroots organizations) to make budget and policy recommendations to the Governor and Legislature.

 The percentage of revenues allocated to each fund will be determined in partnership with lawmakers. Read more about the policy proposal here, ENDORSE the constitutional amendment for housing, and let us know how you’d like to be involved! We are pleased that the Homes for All MN coalition has endorsed!

The Minnesota ERASE Campaign Opens Grant Opportunities

The Minnesota ERASE Campaign (End Rental Arrears and Stop Evictions) is an effort working to eliminate rental indebtedness caused by the pandemic, prevent evictions, and create support for long term policy changes to end housing instability and homelessness. The campaign has recently opened grant opportunities to assist both residents and organizations in participating in  campaign activities. 

Congressional leaders released today a final fiscal year (FY) 2023 omnibus spending bill that includes significant funding for HUD’s housing and homelessness programs. It provides HUD programs with $61.8 billion, or $8.1 billion more than FY22-enacted levels. At this amount, the final bill provides approximately $745 million more than the amount in the Senate proposal, and nearly $1 billion less than the amount in the House proposal. For more details, see NLIHC’s updated budget chart and full analysis.

The White House has released a new guidebook, “Building a Clean Energy Economy: A Guidebook to the Inflation Reduction Act’s Investments in Clean Energy and Climate Action.” For background and context on the IRA’s benefits for affordable housing, read this blog post from Enterprise Community Partners.  

MHP Hosts Central Minnesota Housing Summit

Left: Tour of Red Willow Estates, Right: (from left) Donald Googleye, MHP Community Development Manager; Aubrey Benjamin, Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin at Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Devon Pohlman, MHP Director of Community Development

On December 6th and 7th, MHP hosted the Central Minnesota Housing Summit  in Onamia, Minnesota. Over 55 organizations attended the Summit, where discussion focused on raising the understanding of rural housing challenges and issues; outlining key affordable housing concepts and tools; and how communities are, and can, promote housing solutions. The summit featured remarks and learnings from several local and state housing leaders, and featured a tour of Red Willow Estates, an innovative 30-unit affordable townhome community under construction in Onamia.

MHP Working with Greater Minnesota Communities on Housing Needs

In the Southeast region of the state MHP is working with a number of communities as part of its Housing Institute model. The communities actively pursuing Housing Studies:

The City of Janesville’s Housing Study concluded in December 2022, with the report to be presented to City Council in early January 2023.

The Housing Study outlines a number of strategies that will be further discussed and prioritized by the Janesville Housing Institute team, Council, and community members.

The City of Wabasha is just starting the Housing Study process and hosted a kick off meeting in early December with a number of community stakeholders.

The City of Winnebago has selected a contractor to complete a Housing Study, and preliminary findings will be presented in December. The community is a planning several citizen engagement efforts to support the Housing Study work and overall need in the community. 

In the Central region of the state, the City of Hackensack selected a contractor to complete a Housing Study in December, with City Council support.  

The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota has released The Impact of the COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium on Landlord-Initiated Displacement Actions In Minnesota for the ERASE campaign of MN. This report examines formal evictions and extrajudicial actions taken by landlords to move renters out of their homes, or what the study calls Landlord Initiated Displacement Actions. Additionally, this study analyzes how the eviction moratorium, in place from 2020 through 2022, affected the rate at which LIDAs occurred across the state of Minnesota.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) has released a new report, Voters Choose Housing: A Summary of Housing and Homelessness Ballot Measures in the November 2022 Elections. The report gives an overview of nearly 100 ballot measures that devote new resources to affordable housing, strengthen tenant protections, respond to homelessness, amend zoning and land use policies, facilitate affordable housing development, and tax or regulate short-term rentals (STRs). 

The Urban Institute has released new analysis that has found eighty percent of homes on the market aren’t affordable for households earning median incomes or less. The analysis states "Home prices have risen substantially above the inflation rate, putting homeownership increasingly out of reach for many Americans. Rising interest rates have slowed home price growth but have introduced a new barrier to affordability." 

The City of Minneapolis is accepting applications for the 2022-2023 4d Affordable Housing Incentive Program until January 11, 2023. The 4d program helps preserve NOAH in Minneapolis through commitments from property owners to ensure long-term affordability. Property owners agree to make a 10-year commitment to keep at least 20% of rental units at each property affordable at 60% of AMI.

 4d also helps owners make their buildings greener through financial support for energy efficiency and solar installations through the City’s Green Cost Share program.

The South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition is currently seeking an Executive Director to lead their new Housing Development Subsidiary (HDS). The HDS will primarily focus on providing housing development services to Coalition member organizations who wish to increase or improve housing opportunities for Native families in South Dakota.

On Thursday, January 12th, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF) will be hosting a regional housing forum for Southeast Minnesota. Additional information will be posted to the GMHF website when available. 

Housing Campaign Organizer 

This position will support the MHP led statewide housing campaign which is focused on achieving housing wins in the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions and passing a constitutional amendment. Duties include activating pro-housing community 

members and partner organizations throughout the state to build power and engage in housing campaign priorities supporting MHP and its coalition partners. Full job description here.

Advocate with MHP in 2023

Your experiences, story, and voice are powerful. Join MHP to connect with lawmakers on issues important to you! Outreach to lawmakers from their constituents, through individual and group meetings, calls, and emails, is a compelling way to motivate policy change. MHP will provide training and support. Please join us! Fill out this form or contact us at: policy@mhponline.org.

MHP's offices will be closed from December 24th through January 2nd. We look forward to connecting with you when we return in the new year!

CONTACT US