Click Here for the Homes for All 2019-2020 Legislative Agenda One Pager.

Click Here for the Homes for All Department of Human Services Appropriations Requests One Pager

Click Here for the Homes for All Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Appropriations and Policy Requests One Pager

Click Here for the H4A Bonding One Pager

Where we live impacts every aspect of our lives. Where we call home affects the groceries we buy, where we send our kids to school, and how we thrive in our community. At every stage of life, where we live is the foundation for our health, education, safety, and economic wellbeing.

But in communities across the state, there isn’t enough affordable housing. This leaves few options for Minnesotans struggling to make ends meet.

Housing instability threatens individuals, families, and students. More than 1 in 4 households in Minnesota are housing cost-burdened, an increase of more than 70% since 2000. More than half of Minnesotans experiencing homelessness are children and youth, with nearly 9,500 public school students identified as homeless or highly mobile during the 2015-16 school year.

Minnesota will thrive when everyone has a place to call home. Our legislative proposal strengthens Minnesota’s Housing Continuum, in every corner of the state.

2019 - 2020 Homes for All Legislative Agenda

The dollar amounts are flexible in order to adapt to budget forecasts and lawmaker priorities.

Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) Request:  

• Challenge Program - $15M biennium base increase: A flexible tool used for the development and preservation of multi and single family housing statewide
• Local Housing Trust Fund - $10M one-time funding request: State match to incentivize local communities to support development and preservation of affordable housing
• Homework Starts with Home - $8M per biennium and add to the base: Supports collaborative efforts between schools, housing organizations, and local governments to identify, engage, and stabilize students experiencing homelessness and their families
• Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) - $4M biennium base increase: Rental Assistance funding to serve adults, youth and children at risk of experiencing homelessness.
• Bridges - $2M biennium base increase: Funds necessary rental assistance for adults with a serious mental illness
• Capacity Building Grant - $200,000 biennium base increase: Supports statewide tenant hotline legal services

Department of Human Services/Health & Human Services (DHS):  HF 1043

• Emergency Services Program (ESP) - $15M biennium base increase: Funds emergency shelters and homeless support programs (low barriers, etc.)
• Housing Support (formerly Group Residential Housing) - $100 per month increase to offset rent increases (approximately $8M biennium base increase): Funds room and board for long-term homeless Minnesotans
• Supportive Housing for Adults with Serious Mental Illness - $2M biennium base increase: Funds scattered and site-based housing supports for adults with serious mental illness
• Long-Term Homeless Supportive Services - $1.8M biennium base increase: Expands services to Minnesotans experience chronic homelessness
• Homeless Youth Act - $11.238M biennium base increase: Funds programs and supportive services for youth experiencing homelessness

Taxes:

• Tax Credit Contribution Fund - $50M annually: Create a fund where in exchange for contributions to affordable housing projects, contributors can support local projects and receive a dollar for dollar credit on their state tax liability
• Restore Renter’s Credit for Resident Owned Manufactured Housing Parks - $180K per biennium: Taxpayers living in resident-owned manufactured housing cooperatives will be able to claim property taxes on the land their home is on
• Workforce Homeownership Minnesota (WHOM) – Approximately $10M annually: Dedicate the annual growth in the mortgage registry and deed taxes to affordable homeownership opportunities

Policy Request:

• Longer Minimum Affordability Terms: Require affordable housing development or preservation projects that receive a financial and/or tax credit award from MHFA to maintain affordability for a minimum of 30 years
• Manufactured Housing Right of First Refusal: Allow residents of manufactured home parks to the opportunity to match the developers' price when a sale of an MH is taking place and require park owners to engage in fair purchasing agreement with residents or nonprofits interested in purchasing the park
• Tax Exempt Bond Reinstate Cost Oversight Language and Include Five Consensus Items: Repeal the changes to the TEB allocations passed in 2018 and replace it with the five consensus agreements support by H4A in 2018
• Pay or Quit Eviction Protection: Require landlords to provide a notice in advance of filing an eviction for nonpayment of rent

Bonding Request 

• General Obligation Bonds (GO) - $100M biennium request: To support public housing rehabilitation
• Housing Infrastructure Bonds (HIB) - $200M biennium request: Preservation of federally subsidized rental housing, construction of permanent supportive housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and for Community Land Trust land acquisitions for single family home ownership

In addition to the 2019-2020 Homes for All Legislative Agenda, Homes for All is in support of:

• Minnesota Family Investment Program Increase: seeks a $200 per month  increase to MFIP cash assistance
• General Assistance Cost of Living Adjustment: attach a cost of living adjustment to GA
• Lead Safe Homes: $2M to make units lead safe
• Manufactured Housing Relocation Trust Fund Cap Adjustment:  $3M increase the balance cap to support moving when parks are closed, moved, etc. and put in place additional collection fees
• Tenant Protections: Protections to mitigate homelessness and housing instability.  Includes Reducing Impact of Evictions, Ban the Box on Housing Applications and Section 8 Non-discrimination

Photo from the 2017 Homes for All Rally at the Minnesota State Capitol