Last Wednesday, the House Housing Committee heard HF 933, Rep. Nash’s (R) Planned Unit Development (PUD) bill, which limits municipal powers to require PUDs.
Housing First Minnesota’s Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Mark Foster, submitted a letter of support for the language stating, “HF933 seeks to right-size the utilization of Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) and swing the pendulum back towards homebuyers, giving them greater affordability and more housing options.”
Additionally, Jacob Steen, counsel for Housing First Minnesota, testified in support of the bill.
“Every time you impose an additional cost on the development, you are creating an obstacle that makes that development less viable and makes housing less affordable”, Steen said.
Representative Howard (DFL) made comments citing data naming several metro-area cities with over 90% of housing developments in the 2010s being PUDs—showing they have become the rule, not the exception to the rule.
The full hearing can be viewed here.
The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.
Other housing items of relevance that were discussed last week include an amendment from Rep. Coulter (DFL) that would prohibit minimum parking mandates that was presented as part of the Local Government Policy omnibus discussion and ultimately withdrawn.
On Friday, the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety heard the HOA Omnibus Bill, SF 1750, authored by Sens. Lucero (R) and Pha’s (DFL). During the hearing, one of the more important provisions that would have limited local governments’ ability to force the creation of unnecessary HOA developments was amended out.
The bill was sent to the Senate Floor.
This past Friday at 5pm marked the 1st and 2nd committee deadlines. Housing First Minnesota continues to monitor the legislature, as the 3rd committee deadline approaches this Friday, April 11.
