CMBA has been part of a large coalition of housing advocates, business groups and community organizations, along with a bipartisan set of legislators, supporting zoning reforms to help address the critical lack of housing in Minnesota and the high cost of new construction.

SF 3964/HF 4009, that legalizes missing middle housing and new starter homes across Minnesota, has stalled in the Legislature, but key provisions are still under consideration as committees begin assembling omnibus bills. Some of those provisions include establishing higher minimum allowable densities, and allowing multi-family housing as a build-by-right use on properties zoned commercial. 

"We knew this bill would be attacked by the League of Minnesota Cities which seeks to defend the status quo under the banner of 'local control'," said CMBA Government Affairs Consultant, Steve Gottwalt.  "But we are pleased to see some key elements still under consideration. We cannot expect new and better results from doing the same things over and over again."  Gottwalt noted Minnesota is still short more than 100,000 units of housing, more than 1,300 units short in the St. Cloud area alone.

CMBA has actively supported and testified in favor of SF3964/HF4009 this legislative session. Research from Pew Research Center illustrates that legalizing more housing choices and lifting exclusionary policies can increase access to housing, increase the supply of available housing, and fight housing cost inflation.

"We have all admired the housing supply and affordability crises for too long, and done little to address exclusionary local zoning and other mandates that restrict needed housing development, and add significantly to the cost," said Gottwalt.

One bright spot in the debate has been St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis' vocal support for the bill. Mayor Kleis has testified in favor of the legislation despite opposition from some other cities concerned about local control. Kleis has indicated these measures are important enough that, regardless of what happens with the bill, the City of St. Cloud will be working to adopt several of the bill's provisions as it tries to meet the demand for housing and workforce affordable housing.

#     #     #