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Housing & Economic Development <br />Policies3-Ato3-J:Introduction <br />While the provision of housing is predominantly a private sector, market-driven activity, all <br />levels of government Îfederal, state, regional and local Îhave a rolein facilitating the <br />productionandpreservationofaffordablehousinginMinnesota. <br />Adequate affordable housing is a significant concern for the metropolitan region and effective <br />approachesrequire participationfromalllevelsofgovernment,theprivate sector,and <br />nonprofit groups. <br />3-ACityRole inHousing <br />Cities in Minnesota are responsible for most ground-level housing policy, including land <br />useplanning, code enforcement, rental licensing, and often the packaging of multi-level financial <br />incentives.Citiesareresponsibleforensuringlocalhealth andsafetyand thestructuralsoundness <br />and livability of the local housing stock through building permits and inspections. <br />Cities are charged with providing public infrastructure to serve current and future residents and <br />must assess the effects of a new development on parks, local roads, water, sanitary sewer, and <br />stormwater capacities to ensure that additional needs for infrastructure are assumed by the new <br />development and not current taxpayers. It is the city that assumes the future financial <br />responsibility, management, and maintenance for improvements and infrastructure after a <br />developer has completed a project. <br />It is also the responsibility of cities to periodicallyreview local requirements such as land use <br />regulations and ordinances, and make long range plans consistent with state statute, to ensure that <br />they areconsistentwiththesepurposes. While local government financial resources constitute a <br />relatively small portion of the total costsof providing housing, many cities take on a significant <br />administrative burden by providingfinancialincentivesandregulatoryrelief,participating instate <br />andregionalhousingprograms,and supporting either local or countywide housing and <br />redevelopment authorities and community developmentagencies. <br />When a developer seeks to advance a development proposal that does not meet straight housing <br />and mixed-use zoning codes and requirements, the developer may request a planned unit <br />development (PUD) agreement with a city. PUDs, where appropriate, can provide zoning <br />flexibility to develop a site that is otherwise not permitted by a city code.The use of PUDs may <br />allow for more variety and creativity in land uses, increased density on a site, internal transfers of <br />density, construction phasing, reduced setbacks, and a potential for lower development costs. <br />In the interest of adhering to local long-range plans and managing local health, safety, viability, <br />and welfare needs, a city may request certain public benefits from a developer, including but not <br />limited to additional open space, preservation of wooded land and environmentally sensitive areas, <br />2022 Legislative Policies <br />22 <br /> <br />