News
When you look at these neighborhoods, what do you see?
StarTribune · 7 August 2021
The opposition to multifamily housing — and to the people who need to live there — stems in part from decades of local government land-use rules that prioritize single-family housing. Today, however, these rules are increasingly viewed as a major reason that Black and Latino families are essentially shut out of the vast majority of the Twin Cities.
Rent escrow requirement prevents tenants from challenging poor living conditions, lawyers say
StarTribune · 26 November 2021
The practice of making tenants post back rent with the court to challenge an eviction on habitability issues is “draconian” and unconstitutional, according to an article in Bench & Bar Magazine, the publication of the Minnesota State Bar Association.
Accessory Dwelling Units could make a big difference for veteran homelessness in the Twin Cities — if we just allow them to
MinnPost · 18 November 2021
YardHomes, a new public benefit corporation, hopes to boost production of ADUs, and for the time being are specifically building them to house homeless veterans.
Officials say a shortage of housing, not jobs, is crimping economic development in Greater Minnesota
MinnPost · 23 November 2021
To help its housing crunch, Roseau has had to take unusual measures, morphing essentially into a housing developer and bypassing the private sector. Now, the city is building a $6.8 million apartment complex that is almost entirely funded by the public.
As Minnesota confronts need for affordable housing, it should also celebrate success stories
MinnPost · 18 November 2021
With more than 5,700 housing units in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the suburbs, Aeon provides a wide range of housing opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and those with low incomes — the people who struggle most in a dysfunctional housing market.
Cities with empty offices see new room to expand housing
Politico · 11 November 2021
After Covid, New York and other cities are weighing whether to convert empty office buildings into affordable housing.
Twin Cities ‘housing unaffordability’ leaves few options for lowest income families
StarTribune · 23 October 2021
Over the past decade the seven-county metro needed 44,570 affordable houses and apartments, but only a little more than a third of them got built.
Why Twin Cities housing prices might see some major increases in coming years
MinnPost · 14 October 2021
A recent analysis found that the Twin Cities metro has the tightest vacancy rate in the entire country for cities over 1 million people.
Counterpoint: On rent control, calmly weigh benefits, costs
StarTribune · 12 October 2021
The debate about rent stabilization is commonly driven by fear and half-truths more than by reasoned assessments of the evidence. Such is the case in conversations across the country, and now in the Twin Cities.
Where the suburbs end
New York Times · 8 October 2021
A single-family home from the 1950s is now a rental complex and a vision of California’s future.
Minnesota’s rent help website isn’t working for tenants or landlords — says someone who works with both
MinnPost · 30 September 2021
Kelley Martin is the founder of a small housing nonprofit who also works of a for-profit property management company. Neither side of her work has had much success navigating RentHelpMN.
What’s Driving the Huge U.S. Rent Spike?
Bloomberg CityLab · 5 October 2021
Rent increases of 20% or more are making life difficult for low-income tenants in many cities, just as eviction bans and unemployment relief are running out.
For Lucky Few, Paris Debuts Public Housing in a Pricey Landmark
Bloomberg CityLab · 25 September 2021
The 96 affordable units atop the renovated La Samaritaine department store offer world-class views in one the city’s priciest neighborhoods for about $500 a month.
How a Hot Housing Market Exacerbates Inequality
Bloomberg CityLab · 22 September 2021
Homeownership is becoming even less attainable as bidding wars, cash offers and racist ideas about buyers further disadvantage people of color.
When Real Estate Agents Led the Fight Against Fair Housing
Bloomberg CityLab · 28 September 2021
The new book Freedom to Discriminate argues that the real estate industry’s campaign to defend housing segregation still echoes in today’s politics.