House acts to raise bar for housing-development moratoriums

Changes could be forthcoming in the process cities use to potential changes in local housing activity.

Rep. Jim Nash

Under a bill passed 87-44 as amended by the House Thursday, cities would have to give a 10-day heads up and hold a public hearing before considering a moratorium on housing development. They would also need a two-thirds majority vote of council members present to enact such a moratorium, sometimes called an interim ordinance.

Sponsored by Rep. Jim Nash (R-Waconia), HF330 now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Dan Hall (R-Burnsville) is sponsor.

“All stakeholders have a voice,” Nash said.

The House passed a similar Nash-sponsored bill last year but it got no hearing in the then DFL-controlled Senate. 

Rep. David Bly (DFL-Northfield) unsuccessfully offered an amendment to the delete-all amendment that would have removed the two-thirds vote requirement.