Minnesota House passes $165 million housing package, sends agreement to governor

What left the House as a good bill, returned as a great bill.

So said Rep. Michael Howard (DFL-Richfield) about the conference committee report on HF1141. Passed 105-28 Wednesday by the House, the housing finance and policy bill would provide $165 million for housing without General Fund impact. It is expected to result in more than 2,000 more homes.  

Passed 42-25 by the Senate a couple of hours later, the agreement is headed to Gov. Tim Walz for action.

Sponsored by Howard and Sen. Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville), the agreement mirrors the bill passed by the House May 4 that contained policy provisions that aim to provide additional transparency and accountability of Minnesota Housing’s use of legislative appropriations.

Working through some of those provisions with the Senate and Minnesota Housing Finance Agency officials strengthened the bill, Howard said.

Like the House bill, the final agreement would use interest earnings and reallocating unspent funds previously set aside for the Tyler Settlement to fund housing programs, to service debt on $100 million in housing infrastructure bonds, and provide an additional $40 million for Family Homeless Prevention Assistance Program.

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It also would appropriate $25 million from interest earnings at Minnesota Housing for other programs including $14.3 million for workforce housing in Greater Minnesota, $150,000 for a homeownership education program, and $150,000 for the Minnesota Nice HomeShare pilot program in St. Louis County that helps older adults be part of a collaborative living situation.

The agreement also would provide $4 million for supportive housing programs, $4 million for manufactured home infrastructure grants and $425,000 for statewide tenant education and hotline services — appropriations not included in the House bill, which had $20 million targeted toward workforce housing.