As we close out the year, let’s take a moment to reflect on all we’ve accomplished together in 2024. This past year has brought so many moments to be proud of in our organization and industry.
At Housing First Minnesota, our mission of making homeownership possible for all Minnesotans took center stage as we connected with the public through home tours, convened the most bipartisan coalition at the Capitol to date, supported our communities through Foundation projects, and so much more.
Of course, it wasn’t without challenges. Our industry navigated legislative pressures, ongoing market headwinds, and persistent labor market issues. But together, we rose to meet these challenges head-on, staying focused on what matters most: supporting the dream of homeownership.
Your dedication and hard work make this mission possible. Thank you for a great year! Below you will find a brief collection of some of our successes throughout 2024.
“The Most Exciting Thing Happening in the Legislature”
For the first time in decades, housing supply, affordability, land use, and zoning reform truly took center stage in St. Paul. The 2024 legislative session began in earnest with the announcement of the “Minnesotans for More Homes” initiative. The agenda, announced at a press conference with a bipartisan coalition of legislators, attempted to address the housing crisis afflicting the state by allowing the construction of more homes of all types and price points. While most of the legislation was unable to get across the finish line, the foundation for land use reforms was established for next year’s legislative session.
New Digital Experience for Our Home Tours
After months of development, we introduced the refreshed Parade of Homes app.
Designed to enhance the Parade of Homes experience for our attendees and member companies, the app boasts a wide array of features aimed at streamlining the home touring process, elevating our brand, and providing invaluable tour information.
The launch of our new app modernizes our brand and opens up new opportunities for our printed guidebook to complement the app and grow as the premier homeownership, style, and design guide for our region.
Housing First Minnesota Foundation Reaches New Heights
Earlier this year, the Housing First Minnesota Foundation announced its greatest fundraising endeavor. This opportunity presented our Foundation with the opportunity to transform into one that matches the reach and impact of Minnesota’s housing industry. Nearly $1.5 million was raised to support the Foundation’s next endeavor: Veteran Village.
Veteran Village, a first-of-its-kind project, is designed to house up to 60 veterans and their families who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The initiative marks a significant milestone in our Foundation’s mission to provide safe and stable housing for veterans and their families. This project is slated to be completed in late 2025.
Awards Program Modernization
As our industry grows and evolves, so should our association programs. This past year, following member feedback and extensive research, we made strategic improvements to our renowned awards program to better reflect the housing industry of the 21st century.
These improvements included an enhanced judging process, an expanded slate of awards, and a simplified submission process.
Electoral Success for the Industry and Housing Caucus
The Housing First Minnesota PAC endorsed its most bi-partisan and most geographically diverse slate of candidates ever. These candidates had an extraordinary election night with an 89% victory rate. Your advocacy team looks forward to working with these newly elected members to address important policy issues that impact the industry and the costs of housing.
Housing Affordability Institute Grows
2024 proved to be another significant year for Housing First Minnesota’s housing policy think tank, Housing Affordability Institute. Some of the highlights from the Institute’s year include the 2024 Housing Leadership Summit hosted in September. Housing policy experts from across the country joined Housing First Minnesota’s members in highlighting how to address the housing affordability and access challenges in Minnesota and states across the country.
Additionally, the Housing Affordability Institute was featured in NPR’s business podcast Planet Money which focused on the impacts exclusionary zoning and NIMBY-ism has on the growing housing shortage.
Workforce Effort Continues
In 2024, Housing First Minnesota partnered with a national non-profit, Building Talent Foundation (BTF) to connect Housing First Minnesota members to job seekers through BTF’s construction-only platform JobsToBuild.
Our Speakers Bureau has taken off thanks to 25 Housing First Minnesota members who have volunteered to speak at schools about the great career opportunities in construction. We have already paired speakers with ten metro area schools. Look for details in 2025 on our Housing Pro Certified training program. And, for those attending the Builders and Remodelers Show (BRS) in February, stop by the workforce booth located in the front of the expo hall to learn more about our new workforce initiatives
Opportunities for Networking and Education
Our quarterly Members Only events continued to provide opportunities for members to connect with industry peers, meet new partners, and get to know the newest members of the association.
With topics like insights into interior design, perfecting your sales techniques, and what the growth of AI means for the housing industry, members took time to learn more about topics that are meaningful to them and their companies.
Parade of Homes Gets a Refreshed Look
Tourgoers all over the state know and love our home tour events. In order to stand out to new consumers in today’s abundance of events, we gave our Parade of Homes and Remodelers Showcase branding a bright refresh.
You’ll notice the Remodelers Showcase red has transitioned to a cool teal. Paired with slight adjustments to our classic Parade of Homes yellow and the addition of a few eye-catching colors, these memorable colors represent a new era of home tours in our ever-evolving world.
Artisan Home Tour Introduces New Events
After adding a fall event in 2023, this year we saw the momentum of this brand continue to grow. The Artisan Home Tour, along with Mpls.St.Paul Home and Design Magazine, hosted a one-night special event, The Summer Soiree. This event, hosted at a one-of-a-kind home built by Swanson Homes, featured crafted cocktails, live music, appetizers prepared by local chef Jamie Malone, and more!
Minnesota’s Green Path Teams Up with Xcel Energy
As a part of Xcel Energy’s commitment to green building, it teamed up with Housing First Minnesota in 2024 to support Minnesota Green Path Advanced and Master certifications. Through this collaboration, Xcel Energy encourages builders to construct homes that are at least 80% more energy-efficient than typical homes in the region.
As a result of this partnership, 12 builders achieved a milestone by constructing 30 homes that earned Advanced or Master Certification—the highest number ever recorded in a calendar year.
Foundation Grows with New Partners
Thanks to exciting new partnerships with nonprofit organizations and industry supporters, the Housing First Minnesota Foundation is growing stronger and more diverse than ever.
This expansion boosts the Foundation’s capacity to support Minnesotans in need, allowing for an even greater impact to be made in our community and create lasting positive change for those we serve. All the groundwork was laid in 2024 and our Foundation is excited to soon share more about who they will be partnering with in 2025!
Thank You to Our 2024 Diamond and Platinum Elite Sponsors!
