Housing policy bill passes House with broad support

Tweaks to a high-rise sprinkler grant program, requirements to post information about laws around rental units, and adjustments to Minnesota Housing Finance Agency programs are included in an omnibus housing policy bill that received overwhelming support Tuesday.

The House passed HF2309, as amended, 109-22 and sent it on to the Senate.

Rep. Kari Rehrauer (DFL-Coon Rapids) said the bill she sponsors would provide commonsense updates to current programs.

In response to a fatal fire in 2018, Minnesota created a program to help pay for installing fire-suppression sprinklers in buildings with floors that can’t be reached by fire department ladder trucks. At least one building in Hopkins was ineligible because it was 3 feet below the mandated height requirement.    

The bill would open the grants to buildings with at least seven stories with no other height requirement.  

Among other provisions the bill would:

• allow proceeds from housing infrastructure bonds to be used for adaptive reuse, such as converting school buildings to apartments;
• specify that housing and redevelopment authorities are allowed to establish local housing trust funds — dedicated revenue for housing, for things such as rehabilitation, emergency assistance and gap funding — in the same way as cities and counties;
• require the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency to publish rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants on its website; and
• allow schools to partner with a nonprofit to build houses.