ADVOCACY IN ACTION
The legislative session in 2021 brought affordability and housing supply issues to the forefront in a new and powerful way. The Minnesota Senate’s bipartisan advancement of zoning and permitting modernization was a high point in the ongoing discussion on how to fix Minnesota’s housing supply problem. On the affordability front, the annual pushes for new impact fees were met with a sharp and sustained skepticism from legislators, resulting in the stoppage of new transportation impact fees and park fee expansion for housing developments. In the regulatory space, the electrical code was challenged and the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule continued its long trip through the rulemaking process. Housing First Minnesota’s work to ensure that these rules are balanced to account for costs and implementation has improved them immensely. Beyond this, our work to engage other organizations in these regulatory discussions has been critically important. Rounding out this work is the technical work surrounding the building permit issues that have emerged over the past few years. Concerns about overpriced permit and plan review processes by local governments has garnered the attention of regulators who are attempting find a better balance.
2021 Success, Looking Ahead in 2022 In an industry as large and impactful as housing, there is never a shortage of pressing industry issues. In this regard, 2021 was right on schedule with a host of supply, regulatory, and legal issues. I’m pleased to report that Housing First Minnesota successfully protected our industry by limiting cost drivers that unnecessarily drive home prices for your customers, homeowners across our region. We also found great success in advancing the unifying message of growing homeownership opportunities for all Minnesotans. This is reflected in the media’s coverage of housing issues as well as the growing conversation about the importance of homeownership in our state.
Rounding out the year has been the initiation of legal challenges to the permit surpluses reported by the cities of Corcoran and Dayton. On the affordability front, the Commission on Housing Affordability has met several times to advance the discussion. A comprehensive zoning modernization initiative is taking shape and will likely be the centerpiece of the 2022 housing discussion. By design, the legislative and regulatory process is slow and deliberate, but there is no mistaking the shift and quickening pace in the housing discussion in St. Paul. The membership and work of Housing First Minnesota are at the leading edge of this discussion. As we look forward in 2022, we are thankful for the industry volunteers who drive and support our professional staff in this critical work on behalf of the members of our industry. Onward,
JAMES VAGLE VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY, HOUSING FIRST MINNESOTA
JANUARY–MARCH 2022 | HOUSING FIRST MINNESOTA
The Digest
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