Take it from just about any credible study of metro-area places to call home: It's clear from the data that the growing Twin Cities region needs more housing, a wider range of housing types, and more affordable and deeply affordable places to live.
And as a recent Star Tribune news project pointed out, the Twin Cities would benefit from more equitable access to both rental options and homeownership. The story described how zoning rules that prohibit multifamily units and dictate larger lot sizes have contributed to higher prices and some of the most segregated neighborhoods in the nation.
Minnesotans should applaud the efforts of state lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who want to bring city officials and developers together to address those well-documented housing issues, not only in the core cities but in suburban and rural areas as well.
In that spirit, this week Rep. Steve Elkins, DFL-Bloomington, introduced a bill called the Housing Affordability Act that would prompt the development of more affordable housing.
His proposal would make it easier to build more and different types of housing in residential areas. The measure also would allow cities to use assessments and other mechanisms to help pay for infrastructure to accommodate additional housing.
Sen. Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake, originally proposed the Legislative Commission on Housing Affordability and has been pushing a bill in the Senate the last two years. It is similar to Elkins' proposal but focused on encouraging affordable homeownership opportunities. And Rep. Jim Nash, R-Waconia, has asked that the commission, a bipartisan group of lawmakers that met once about 18 months ago, reconvene this fall.
Changing zoning can be tough sell, particularly in suburban and higher-income, single-family home areas. In addition, some cities have objected to state legislation, arguing that zoning decisions are best made locally and not by state government. Many cities and suburbs have had contentious battles over whether a new apartment or condo building should go up and change the character of single-family neighborhoods.
The debate flared when Minneapolis citizens were debating the provision in the city's 2040 plan that would allow multifamily units in areas that had been zoned single-family only. Ultimately, city leaders adopted a reasonable compromise that expanded the areas in which duplexes and triplexes can be built.
