Helping Realtors and Local Housing Markets Function
1. State-backed gap financing for rural housing projects where build costs exceed market value
2. Faster permitting and reduced regulatory barriers for rural developments
3. Incentives for mixed-income housing instead of one-size-fits-all projects
4. Support for first-time homebuyers to stabilize local markets
Incentives for New Construction and Apartments in Rural Areas
1. Expand Minnesota Housing rural development grants (targeted, competitive and accountable)
2. Offer temporary property tax abatements for new construction (5-10 years)
3. Provide infrastructure grants (water, sewer, roads) so towns aren’t forced to raise taxes
4. Encourage public-private partnerships with local banks and cooperatives
5. Promote market rate apartments – rent gaps
Expanding Low-Income and Workforce Housing
1. Increase funding for workforce housing for teachers, health care workers, EMTs and trades
2. Support locally driven housing authorities, not top-down mandates
3. Encourage mixed-income developments to reduce stigma
4. Budget friendly transportation dollars to counties for vans and buses – incentives to drivers
Message: Affordable housing isn’t about handouts – it’s about keeping communities working
Preventing Homelessness and Supporting Growing Communities
1. Expand rental assistance and eviction prevention programs
2. Support short-term housing stabilization for families in crisis
3. Coordinate housing policy with mental health and workforce programs
4. Encourage regional cooperation between towns
Property Tax Relief and Protections
1. Support state-paid property tax relief instead of shifting costs to counties
2. Push for transparency in levy increases
3. The new housing incentives to local tax stability requirements
4. Eliminating or reducing property tax for Seniors and Fixed Incomes
5. Keeping housing growth compatible with small-town values
6. Reform Homestead vs. Non-Homestead tax incentives
