PRESS RELEASE – Statement from CGMC President Shelly Carlson on the House and Senate “Yes to Homes” legislative package

For Immediate Release   

March 5, 2025                                                                    

Contact: Alex Wildfang        
651-259-1917   
ahwildfang@flaherty-hood.com                                                                                                                      

Statement from CGMC President Shelly Carlson on the House and Senate “Yes to Homes” legislative package

ST. PAUL—While the Coalition of Greater Minnesota (CGMC) recognizes that the details of this new housing legislation are still emerging, we are concerned that the proposals highlighted today are not targeted to the problems we have repeatedly identified as the barriers to housing development in Greater Minnesota.

Housing is a complicated issue with numerous factors that drive up costs, including mortgage rates, the cost of labor and materials, workforce shortages, or the availability of developers to simply do the work. There is nothing we see in this legislation that addresses those concerns. Greater Minnesota is not facing a housing crisis because our cities are unwilling to allow new residential construction or reevaluate local policies. Our cities are facing a housing crisis because the cost of constructing a unit of housing is more than what our economies can support in rent or mortgages. Almost all our cities would welcome any of the housing types mentioned in this package, and many are currently trying to work with developers to do so. Still, the housing market mismatch in Greater Minnesota makes it extremely difficult.

Moreover, the assertion made by lawmakers that cities are only just now realizing that housing is an issue is simply untrue. Cities in Greater Minnesota have been grappling with this problem for years and have been discussing these issues in every possible forum, locally and statewide. Several of today’s speakers at the press conference noted the positive steps cities across the state have taken to update their comprehensive plans, amend zoning codes, address parking requirements, roll back aesthetic mandates, and review other potentially restrictive policies. However, it is important to note that cities have taken these actions in the context of their own communities and with their own residents.

We appreciate the ongoing engagement with legislators on housing. We recognize that they have incorporated elements of our feedback into this year’s proposals. Nonetheless, it appears the spirit of these proposals retains the same one-size-fits-all directives that place legislators in St. Paul and unaccountable developers in the driver’s seat rather than local residents and their elected officials.

Click here for a PDF version of this release.

###

The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization representing cities outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Coalition educates legislators about issues important to Greater Minnesota. Visit the CGMC at greatermncities.org and follow us on Twitter @greatermncities.