The 2023 legislative session has only been at work for a little more than two weeks, but during that time they have held many informational hearings and have already started moving bills through committees.
On Tuesday, Mark Foster, vice president of legislative and political affairs for Housing First Minnesota, testified in front of the Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee. Speaking on behalf of the association and the industry, Foster gave insight into the barriers that homebuyers are currently facing.
“We are attempting to meet consumers where they are. In many instances they continue to call for greater density, smaller homes on smaller lots, less demand for garage space. While not all consumers are asking for these items, there is a growing segment of first-time buyers, single people and downsizers that are.”
Foster continued, “We are committed to providing homebuyers with more choice. There is a massive market for starter homes – modest homes with functional space on small lots.”
The full video of the housing committee can be found here. There are numerous bills that are in the process of being introduced that would allow for greatly needed flexibility in bringing new homes online.
At the same time two proposals that would impact the entire business community are working their way through the committee process on both sides of the capitol. The creation of a new program for paid family leave and mandating employers to provide eighty hours of sick leave have both had multiple bill hearings in each chamber.
Housing First Minnesota is working with allied business organizations to express our concerns with the proposals.
