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Housing & Economic Development <br />3-GStateRoleinHousing <br />The state mustbe anactive participantinprovidingfundingforhousing,includingdirect <br />funding,financial incentives,and initiativesto assistlocal governmentsanddevelopersto <br />support affordablehousing and housing appropriate for people at all stages of life. State funding <br />is amajor and necessary component for the provision of housing. Current resource levels are <br />insufficient tomeetthe spectrumofneedsinthe metropolitan regionandacrossthe state. <br />PrimarilythroughprogramsadministeredbytheMinnesotaHousingFinanceAgency (MHFA), <br />the state establishes the general direction and prioritization of housing issues, and financially <br />supports a variety of housing, including transitional housing, privately and publicly owned <br />housing,supportive housing,seniorhousing,workforce housing,andfamilyhousing. <br />MinnesotaÓs low-income rental property classification, commonly known as class 4d, allows <br />landlords to certify qualifying low-income rental property. The state must continue to be an <br />active partnerinaddressinglife cycleandaffordablehousingneeds. <br />Workforcehousingisgenerallydefined ashousingthatsupportseconomicdevelopmentandjob <br />growth and is affordable to the local workforce. A statewide program, administered through the <br />MinnesotaHousingFinance Agency,supportsworkforcehomeownershipeffortsinthe <br />metropolitanarea.State policiesand fundingshouldrecognizethat affordable housingoptions <br />that are accessible to jobsandmeet theneedsofacityÓsworkforceare importanttothe <br />economic competitiveness of cities and the metro region. In addition, significant housing related <br />racialdisparities persist in Minnesota, especially as it relates to the percentage of households of <br />colorwho pay more than 30 percent of their income in housing costs and as it relates to the <br />significantdisparitygapinhomeownershiprates. <br />MetroCitiessupports: <br />Increased,sustainableandadequatestatefundingfornewandexistingprogramsthat <br />supportlifecycle,workforceandaffordablehousing,addresshomeownership <br />disparities,addressforeclosuremitigation,addresshousingfor familieswithchildren, <br />andsupportsenior,transitionalandemergencyhousingforthemetroregion; <br />A state match for local and regional housing trust fund investments and local <br />policies in support of affordable housing. State funds should be issued on a timeline <br />thatworkswithacityÓs budgetprocess; <br />Privatesectorfundingforworkforcehousing; <br />Housing programs that assist housing development, preservation and maintenanceof <br />existing housing stock, including unsubsidized, naturally occurring affordable housing <br />thatis affordabletoresidents throughoutthelow-to-moderateincomerange; <br />State funded housing programs, including housing assistance, to help with <br />affordability; <br />Housing programs designed to develop market rate housing in census blocks with <br />emergingor highconcentrationsofpoverty,where the privatemarketmightnot <br />2022 Legislative Policies <br />28 <br /> <br />