At the Legislature

Impacting Policy Decisions

As a statewide housing organization, the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund seeks to educate policy makers at the local, state and federal levels about affordable housing issues.

The Greater Minnesota Housing Fund is involved in advocating for specific housing policies and programs at the Minnesota Legislature. Greater Minnesota Housing Fund and the Family Housing Fund typically join forces during legislative sessions, coordinating testimony and governmental relations efforts. As a result, the two funds can speak knowledgeably to both rural and urban housing issues affecting Minnesota.

Collaborating with Others

GMHF also works closely with the League of Minnesota Cities, the Association of Minnesota Counties, the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities, the Minnesota Housing Partnership and its public education and advocacy campaign entitled the Minnesota Housing Campaign, as well as others to raise awareness among legislators of the needs for affordable housing and the opportunities to link housing and economic development efforts throughout the state.

The Bulletin, published and distributed bi-weekly by Housing Minnesota, a project of the Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP), features legislative news and announcements and upcoming events related to affordable housing in the state.


:: Visit GMHF's governmental links page

:: View a Slide Show on Affordable Housing in Minnesota from the Legislative Auditors Office

:: View the Office of the Legislative Auditors Report on Affordable Housing

GMHF endorses Minnesota Housing Partnership's affordable housing legislative priorities for the 2008 session.

Learn more about Minnesota Housing Partnership and HousingMinnesota's Legislative Priorities for the 2007 Session ->

Minnesota Housing Partnership's 2008 Legislative Priorities

Preserving Affordable Housing

  • Preserve multi-family affordable rental by expanding the 4d property tax classification to include properties having below 75% affordable units, and properties that receive local government financing (without state or federal funding). 430 properties would be impacted by the proposed modifications to the 4d classification with a preponderance located in Greater Minnesota (79 properties in the Twin Cities Metro and 351 in Greater Minnesota).
  • Preserve owner-occupied homes facing foreclosure and protect the rights of tenants in investor-owned foreclosed property by increasing funding for counseling, providing capital to restore blighted properties, and modifying the state’s foreclosure statutes. During 2007, the number of homes entering foreclosure reached its highest point in 28 years, and this trend is expected to continue for the next 36 months as existing variable rate mortgages reset.
  • Preserve manufactured homes by improving opportunities for financing homes, providing capital for park improvements, and enhancing the purchase rights of residents in the case of a manufactured home park sale. Manufactured housing represents nearly 50,000 unsubsidized affordable units located in 915 parks across the state. It is estimated that over 180,000 Minnesotans live in manufactured housing comprised primarily of low- and very low-income households.
  • Preserve public housing by providing increased funding for operations and capital and opening up the PARIF (Preservation Affordable Rental Investment Fund) program to public housing. Research indicates that over 35,000 individuals live in approximately 20,000 units of public housing across the state. 64.6% of public housing households in Minnesota have an elderly and/or disabled resident. The mean (average) household income for all public housing households in Minnesota is $12,200.

Creating Affordable Housing

  • Support increased state bonding for supportive housing. In 2003, the state of Minnesota created a Business Plan to End Long-Term Homelessness. The plan’s centerpiece is the development of 4,000 supportive housing opportunities by 2010, with a portion of the funding provided by the sale of general obligation (GO) bonds. To meet the plan’s funding goals, Minnesota Housing has requested that the Legislature issue $30 million in GO bonds to create supportive housing.
  • Support the sales tax exemption on materials purchased by limited partnerships with nonprofit general partners. This sales tax expansion will save Minnesota nonprofit housing developers approximately $700,000 per year. This bill was successfully included in the Omnibus Tax Bill in 2007, and MHP plans to build on this success during the 2008 legislative session.
  • Support new revenue sources for affordable housing. Based on 2006 American Community Survey data, there are in over 200,000 households in Minnesota paying over one-half their income for housing. Public funding is the most important resource for addressing the lack of affordable housing. A 2006 MHP study calculated that the state needs an additional $568 million per year over the amounts committed for housing in the period from 2000-2005 to meet the most severe housing needs in the state.
  • Support a state donor tax credit to match private contributions used to create affordable housing.