Nick Erickson

Zoning Deal Gains Momentum at State Capitol Proposed bill would make it easier to build new housing.

Zoning Deal Gains Momentum at State Capitol

tcbmag.com/zoning-deal-...

HOA fees climb as more homes list with dues Some 44% of Realtor.com listings had HOA dues last year.

Share of homes with HOA fees growing.

Maybe we should stop needless HOAs from being formed

MN and AZ have bills this year on that topic.
www.axios.com/2026/03/09/h...

Housing affordability is slipping in Minnesota — state policy can help Housing affordability has become one of Minnesota’s biggest issues: A young family can’t buy its first home, a nurse or teacher must move farther from work, a business struggles to hire because worker...

Housing affordability is slipping in Minnesota — state policy can help

www.yahoo.com/news/article...

If there’s one issue that Republicans and DFLers in St. Paul can come together on, it’s housing. In recent years, both parties have taken up the task of tackling a growing housing shortage.

www.northernnewsnow.com/2026/03/06/m...

Bipartisan Starter Homes Act unveiled at Capitol Minnesota lawmakers unveil the bipartisan Starter Homes Act, requiring cities to adopt upzoning measures aimed at boosting housing production statewide.

Bipartisan Starter Homes Act unveiled at Capitol

finance-commerce.com/2026/03/minn...

Senate bill to help Americans afford housing nears the finish line The U.S. Senate is moving ahead with a bipartisan package to bring down housing costs, including new grants and a ban on large institutional investors.

Bipartisan U.S. Senate bill to help Americans afford housing nears the finish line

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Anne Mavity of MHP, Co-Chair of Yes To Homes:

This bill is reflective of all interests... Cities get to choose where more density is allowed.

Anna Nelson of @moreneighbors.org highlights the value of community and belonging that a home provides.

"Too many municipal governments have made it hard to build a neighborhood like mine."

Pleased to testify again in support of homeownership.

The all-new Minnesota Starter Home Act is the result of nine months of work and real compromise. It reflects the best of Minnesota: leaders across political and geographic lines coming together to better serve Minnesotans.

MN Realtors support bipartisan actions that improve housing affordability and supply

Gabriel Kravitz of Pew highlights how research shows this bill reduces barriers to housing supply and affordability.

Kraft: Housing is at the center of everything.

HF 3895 is up in the House Housing Committee:

Demonstrating bipartisanship, Reps. Spencer Igo and @larrykraft.bsky.social are co-presenting

Igo: The American Dream Starts At Home

house.mn.gov/live/1

Streaming link / Committee starts shortly

Watch live at
house.mn.gov/live/1

Housing Shortage Deepens As Underbuilding Persists The U.S. housing supply gap widened to an estimated 4.03 million homes in 2025, according to Realtor.com’s 2026 Housing Supply Gap Report, highlighting persistent underbuilding amid strong household f...

Housing Shortage Deepens As Underbuilding Persists

nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/housing...

The cost of continued inaction in MN - Housing reform has been part of the political discussion since 2018.

❌Highest regional new home costs
❌Permits near decade lows
❌Large homeownership rate decline

Hearing this afternoon on the HF 3895 - MN's Reform Package

The language we will be discussing today reflects the bipartisan reforms enacted across the U.S.

✅ Starter Homes in Growing Areas
✅ More Options in In-Demand Cities
✅ Homes Near Jobs

Hearing @ 3pm CT

www.house.mn.gov/schedules/co...

MN House panel approves bill limiting local governments from mandating HOAs

www.house.mn.gov/sessiondaily...

Alaska House advances bill intended to boost workforce housing | Alaska Beacon The bill allows the state’s economic development agency to finance construction of commercial housing with more than five units.

Alaska has entered the housing reform chat.

alaskabeacon.com/2026/02/28/a...

In California, About the Only Way to Get a House Is to Inherit One via @WSJ

www.wsj.com/economy/hous...

HFMN CEO: there hasn’t been a “substantive modernization of zoning rules” since the early 1990s. The “affordability challenges of today, should be reflected in our baseline zoning."

Twin Cities housing permits jump; apartments lag Twin Cities housing permits rose 138% in February, led by single-family homes, while multifamily construction remained weak despite Hudson growth.

“We’re seeing western Wisconsin as an extension of the MSP metro. We see that in our home tours. I think it speaks to the availability and opportunity in Wisconsin. And, candidly, the affordability challenges bring some of those factors into play.”
finance-commerce.com/2026/02/twin...

Pro-density housing advocates believe this is the year for zoning reform in Minnesota The issue is a rare one at the State Capitol that has had both Republican and Democratic supporters — just not enough of them.

Pro-density housing advocates believe this is the year for zoning reform in Minnesota

www.startribune.com/pro-density-...

Housing permits in MN Have Fallen 35% statewide since 2021.

Both 2024 and 2025 permitting activity sat between 2015 and 2016 levels. This is not how you close a housing deficit.

Groups push zoning reform at Start with Home rally Housing advocates rally at the Capitol for pro-housing policies as legislators vow renewed push for Yes to Homes legislation.

Groups push zoning reform at Start with Home rally

finance-commerce.com/2026/02/minn...

Governors Take the Lead on Affordability: Montana Governor Greg Gianforte Talks Housing
www.nga.org/meetings/gov...

Minnesota remains the highest new cost state in the region as housing has not yet been meaningfullly addressed by MN Leg.

Latest numbers are from Zonda in December 2025:

The median new home in MN costs 35.1% higher than the median U.S. new home.

In MSP, it is 37.5% higher than U.S. median.

Minnesota has 855 cities - less than 1% have taken substantive action on housing in the past decade.

Last night, Bloomington, MN, took another step forward in housing access with a public hearing on its missing middle ordinace. Bloomington already re-legalized starter homes a few years back.

legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/atta...

This Arizona exaction bill is one bill I am watching closely...