2025 Minneapolis Housing Questionnaire — Mayoral Race

Neighbors for More Neighbors partnered with Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia, Wedge LIVE!, Housing Justice League, Housing in Action and BikeMN to sponsor a housing questionnaire for the 2025 Minneapolis Elections.

We sent this questionnaire to all candidates who filed campaign finance reports as of April 16, 2025. Jacob Frey (Incumbent), DeWayne Davis, Howard Dotson, Omar Fateh, Jazz Hampton, and Xavier Pauke responded by the July 9th deadline. We did not receive responses from Brenda Short or Laverne Turner.

The candidates are ordered alphabetically by last name, except for the incumbent, who is placed first. You may view the candidate responses to each question by clicking on the “+” icon to the left of the question.

Question 1: One way to create complete, walkable neighborhoods is to legalize local commercial use within those neighborhoods. The existing zoning code prohibits commercial use on approximately 89% of Minneapolis lots.

Will you vote for zoning changes to allow local, low-impact small businesses (e.g. coffee shops, restaurants, corner stores, etc.) to be built in residential neighborhoods throughout our entire city?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    Yes

    DeWayne Davis
    Yes

    Howard Dotson
    Yes
    We need to support small businesses. Many members of our immigrant communities have revitalized several neighborhood. We need to empower them with less regulatory restrictions.

    Omar Fateh
    Yes
    Local, low-impact businesses are crucial to improving our neighborhoods. They help everyone in the community meet daily needs without having to travel long distances. They also provide opportunities for diverse small businesses that contribute so much to our city’s joy, character, and economic opportunities. And finally, they provide us with shared spaces to connect with neighbors. As Mayor, I will allow and encourage low-impact businesses throughout the city as part of my commitment to complete and walkable neighborhoods and to meeting our ambitious climate goals.

    Jazz Hampton
    Yes
    I support zoning changes that would allow local, low-impact small businesses like coffee shops, restaurants, and corner stores to operate in residential neighborhoods across Minneapolis.

    Creating complete, walkable neighborhoods strengthens community connections, reduces our reliance on cars, and fosters local economic growth. These kinds of businesses make neighborhoods more vibrant and livable while providing opportunities for local entrepreneurs, especially those from historically marginalized communities. Ensuring the economic vitality of this city is more than uptown and downtown, it is the success of our local communities like 38th and Grand.

    As mayor, I will work to modernize our zoning code to help eliminate food deserts and so that every neighborhood in Minneapolis can have access to the local amenities that make our city a great place to live.

    Xavier Pauke
    Yes
    Combining light commercial zoning with medium residential would be ideal. That would be local shops on the ground floor with residential on the 2nd through 5th floor. I would support 3 bedroom apartments or rent to own condos being a commonality at a low price across the city. It’s insane to me when I hear that a studio costs $900-$1,600 dollars.

Question 2: Some cities like South Bend, Indiana, have developed a set of pre-approved, residential project plans to help (1) lower the cost of construction by reducing design fees and (2) speed up approval times. These initiatives involve working with architects and engineers to develop a set of plans for one to six-unit homes that are permitted throughout the city.

Will you vote to create an accessible catalog of free or low-cost, pre-approved home plans for the City of Minneapolis?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    Yes

    DeWayne Davis
    Yes

    Howard Dotson
    Yes
    We need to support small businesses. Many members of our immigrant communities have revitalized several neighborhood. We need to empower them with less regulatory restrictions.

    Omar Fateh
    Yes
    Local, low-impact businesses are crucial to improving our neighborhoods. They help everyone in the community meet daily needs without having to travel long distances. They also provide opportunities for diverse small businesses that contribute so much to our city’s joy, character, and economic opportunities. And finally, they provide us with shared spaces to connect with neighbors. As Mayor, I will allow and encourage low-impact businesses throughout the city as part of my commitment to complete and walkable neighborhoods and to meeting our ambitious climate goals.

    Jazz Hampton
    Yes
    I support zoning changes that would allow local, low-impact small businesses like coffee shops, restaurants, and corner stores to operate in residential neighborhoods across Minneapolis.

    Creating complete, walkable neighborhoods strengthens community connections, reduces our reliance on cars, and fosters local economic growth. These kinds of businesses make neighborhoods more vibrant and livable while providing opportunities for local entrepreneurs, especially those from historically marginalized communities. Ensuring the economic vitality of this city is more than uptown and downtown, it is the success of our local communities like 38th and Grand.

    As mayor, I will work to modernize our zoning code to help eliminate food deserts and so that every neighborhood in Minneapolis can have access to the local amenities that make our city a great place to live.

    Xavier Pauke
    Yes
    Combining light commercial zoning with medium residential would be ideal. That would be local shops on the ground floor with residential on the 2nd through 5th floor. I would support 3 bedroom apartments or rent to own condos being a commonality at a low price across the city. It’s insane to me when I hear that a studio costs $900-$1,600 dollars.

Question 3: Given Minneapolis’s history of redlining, exclusionary zoning, freeway construction through historically Black & minority neighborhoods, slum clearance, and urban renewal, what are your goals to address historic & ongoing harms–in an equitable and restorative way–to build a better and more livable Minneapolis for all residents?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    My positions and advocacy have been consistent both before and during my time in public office; we should push back on intentional segregation, create a diversity of housing options in every neighborhood, and push for more affordable housing in middle and upper-income areas. I campaigned on these ideas, and once elected as Mayor, we passed them. The 2040 plan–now a national model of housing policy–was an important step toward addressing those challenges. We are producing 8.5 times the amount of deeply affordable housing since before I took office, and programs like Stable Homes Stable Schools focused on breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Still, there is more work to be done to continue this trajectory of inclusive housing work.

    DeWayne Davis
    We must take into account that Black, Brown, and Indigenous people continue to face racially discriminatory systems that have denied them access to health, wealth, and well-being. A one-size-fits-all approach to housing just won’t work in a city as segregated as ours – we need to meet these systemic injustices with the same level of intention with which they were created.

    Homeownership builds generational wealth, and many of our Black, Brown, and Indigenous neighbors have never owned a home or have lost theirs. We need to coordinate resources like Community Land Trusts, favorable loans, and housing stabilization support to help folks access homes and stay in them.

    We also need to invest in deeply affordable housing and offer resources for renters, homeowners, and local landlords to update and improve their naturally occurring affordable housing without raising rents. We need to make sure that we’re going after predatory landlords, but that we also have tools and resources in place to make sure that those tenants aren’t displaced, including offering tenants or affordable housing organizations first right of refusal and using funds from the city’s Housing Trust Fund to support those cooperative or non-profit purchases.

    The city also has a moral imperative to invest more deeply in neighborhoods impacted by these policies, from our public works to small business development to affordable housing to schools to healthcare. My neighbors in Willard-Hay deserve the same amount of care as our wealthier neighbors, which is something we haven’t seen under our current Mayor.

    As Mayor, I will meet the inequities in neighborhoods like mine with intention to make sure that we can bring the promise of our city to those who have been excluded and left behind.

    Howard Dotson
    Environmental racism is real. We have yet to achieve restorative justice for what happened to the Rondo community. I fully support the revitalization proposals that were presented Shiloh Temple last year. I fully support the reparations efforts underway for the redlining and covenants that cost billions in lost inherited equity for our African American families in the Twin Cities.

    Omar Fateh
    I am running for Mayor to work towards a city in which everyone has access to safe and stable housing, and our public transit includes everyone and connects us to each other. I will fight to increase our supply of affordable housing across the city, and to ensure that everyone can reach any part of our city without having to own a car. The only way to do this is to take reparative actions to address our history of land theft, displacement, redlining, and the destruction of BIPOC communities to make way for freeways and gentrification. This is why I fought against efforts to expand I-94, and as chief author on the Highway Justice Act, we sought to:

    1. give communities a stronger voice on highway projects that affect their neighborhoods,

    2. count pollution from highways under the Cumulative Impacts Law,

    3. make it so that trunk highway funds can be used flexibly for transit, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure.

    In particular, these are the some of the steps I would take to make sure everyone in Minneapolis has a safe a stable place to call home:

    • Build and maintain public housing at the federally allowed maximum level, and support a dedicated levy to maintain this commitment.

    • Enact a rent stabilization policy to ensure that renters can call Minneapolis home for generations to come.

    • Establish a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act to ensure that renters have an additional tool to access homeownership.

    • Support the Affordable Housing Right of First Refusal ordinance to preserve affordable housing and keep it locally owned, rather than letting it be hoarded by venture capitalists and wealthy developers.

    • Increase the supply of affordable housing through direct investment and incentives for new affordable development, by growing investments in programs like the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the 4D program.

    • Explore publicly-owned social housing for residents at a variety of income levels.

    • Support new housing development to ensure a regularly increasing supply.

    Jazz Hampton
    As a Black man who grew up in a working class family a few miles from where I live now, and who is now a homeowner in a neighborhood where there are roughly the same number of Black households as there were Black folks living under my roof when I was a kid, I understand deeply how housing, opportunity, and belonging are connected.

    My goal is to address historic and ongoing harms by expanding deeply affordable housing, supporting policies that give renters and historically excluded communities a chance to build wealth and stay in the neighborhoods they love, and ensuring our city planning reflects the diverse needs of all residents.

    But housing solutions are just a portion of this work. It’s also about ensuring people have access to financial support, good careers, education, and so much more. If a rising tide lifts all boats, we have to recognize that some of those boats have holes in them, and we must address those holes so no one gets left behind.

    I believe we must remove barriers created by exclusionary zoning, invest in communities impacted by redlining and displacement, and design policies that help people remain stably housed, whether through affordable homeownership opportunities, tenant protections, or direct support for those most at risk.

    For me, building a more livable Minneapolis means making sure that everyone, regardless of race, income, or background, can see themselves here, contribute to this city’s future, and share in its prosperity.

    Xavier Pauke
    Continue to enhance the city to be welcoming to all walks of life & make sure that discrimination practices are not welcome. As a side note looking at our neighboring townships/cities and working with the leadership of the metro & greater metro area, making sure that all of us are welcoming to everyone.

    As long as people report acts of discrimination and don’t ignore situations in front of them. It would be very very hard to proactively stop those specific discriminations from the outside. Internally I wouldn’t allow that to even make it out of a discussion without it being addressed.

Question 4: Minneapolis currently allows property owners to build triplexes on any residential lot. In practice, on an average 5,000 square foot lot in Minneapolis, each triplex unit is constrained to ~800 square feet due to other size and height limitations in the code (these are built-form restrictions & floor-to-area ratios). Most of the triplexes that currently exist were built decades ago and would not be allowed today under current rules.

Will you vote to change city built-form restrictions so that new triplexes could be built if they stayed consistent with existing forms?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    Yes

    DeWayne Davis
    Yes

    Howard Dotson
    Yes
    Developers need this flexibility to increase the housing market.

    Omar Fateh
    Yes
    In addition to the policies outlined above, I would be supportive of fourplexes as well.

    Jazz Hampton
    Yes
    I would support changing built-form restrictions so that new triplexes can be built, as long as they remain consistent with the character and scale of existing neighborhoods. Allowing more flexibility for triplex construction is a practical step toward increasing housing options and affordability, and it aligns with our city’s goals for growth and inclusion. I believe we need zoning and design rules that reflect modern needs, create more housing choices for families and individuals at all income levels, and help us meet our climate and sustainability goals by making better use of the land we already have.

    Xavier Pauke
    Abstain
    I think that if it was the better option then it could be worthwhile but with today’s materials & construction practices it would likely be more beneficial to build more spacious stacked housing that can facilitate families and be up to code for the foreseeable long-term future.

Question 5: The Minneapolis 2040 Plan has been highly successful in allowing more studios and 1 to 2 bedroom homes to be built in the City, primarily in buildings with 20 or more units. However, 3 or more bedroom homes in these same buildings are rare; meaning families with children are competing for a limited supply of single-family homes.

Will you vote to change zoning restrictions to encourage the development of 3-bedroom units–in multi-unit buildings–for growing Minneapolis families?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    Yes

    DeWayne Davis
    Yes

    Howard Dotson
    Yes
    Our immigrant communities often have more children than Euro Americans. This lack of 3 bedrooms impacts their quality of life. We need to be intentionally family friendly in our housing options.

    Omar Fateh
    Yes
    In my role as State Senator, I am proud to have fought to protect the Minneapolis 2040 Plan from legal challenges. Implementing the Minneapolis 2040 Plan, one of the boldest Comprehensive Plans in the country, is essential to creating a more accessible, prosperous, and livable Minneapolis. As Mayor, I will be proud to continue this work by changing zoning restrictions that hinder the implementation of the Minneapolis 2040 plan. I will support the development of 2, 3, & 4 bedroom units in multi-unit buildings and zoning changes that allow for this type of development. I support seeing this type of development especially near public schools, so that kids can live within walking distance and that we incentivize more intentional, local, and resourced communities.

    Jazz Hampton
    Yes
    Yes, I would support changes to zoning and incentives to encourage the development of more three-bedroom units in multi-family buildings. I have been advocating for this for quite some time because Minneapolis is a growing city, and we need housing options that work for families of all sizes. Families shouldn’t be forced out of the city or into single-family homes they cannot afford simply because larger apartments are scarce. Expanding opportunities for three-bedroom units in multi-unit buildings will help keep families in our neighborhoods, support diverse communities, and make our housing supply more equitable and accessible for everyone.

    Xavier Pauke
    Yes

Question 6: Across the country, many cities and states are updating their zoning codes to allow more homes near high-quality transit. For example, Washington State legalized six-plexes within a half-mile of major transit stops.

Will you vote for zoning reforms in Minneapolis to support more homes on all land within a half-mile of major transit stops, including LRT, BRT, and ABRT lines?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    Yes

    DeWayne Davis
    Yes

    Howard Dotson
    Yes
    We need rezoning but we must also protect the small businesses along these corridors. The gentrification risks are high.

    Omar Fateh
    Yes
    Access to stable and affordable housing and access to good and reliable public transportation are inseparably tied together. In order to work towards the vibrant and loving city that we know Minneapolis can be, it is essential to pass policy that tackles both issues of housing and transportation simultaneously. As Mayor, I will look to successful examples in other cities as models for updating zoning codes and supporting more homes near high-quality transit, as well as invest in and work towards more accessible, reliable and affordable public transit for everyone in our city.

    Jazz Hampton
    Yes
    Yes, I would support zoning reforms to allow more homes on all land within a half-mile of major transit stops, including LRT, BRT, and ABRT lines. This aligns with the spirit of the Minneapolis 2040 Plan, which already recognizes that higher-density housing near transit is critical for affordability, sustainability, and equitable access to opportunity. Expanding housing options near transit strengthens our city’s future by helping more people live closer to jobs, schools, and services, reducing traffic and emissions, and supporting vibrant, walkable neighborhoods. I believe Minneapolis can grow in a way that meets the needs of current residents while making room for new neighbors, and smart transit-oriented zoning changes are part of that vision.

    Xavier Pauke
    Yes
    Unfortunately this is outside of my field of knowledge even with looking at how other cities have built their residential areas. I would have to consult experts on that, but I certainly wouldn’t be against it.

Question 7: What specific anti-displacement measures will you support to ensure these zoning changes benefit existing residents and prevent displacement of low-income communities for current and future projects?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    We have dramatically increased our investment in affordable housing preservation programs so that we’re not just creating new affordable housing, we’re working to prevent displacement. First, our 4D program has succeeded at preserving naturally occurring affordable housing by using property tax reductions to lock in long-term affordable housing rates. Second, we have an inclusionary zoning ordinance on the books in Minneapolis that adds to new affordable units and/or funding when new developments are built. Finally, building new housing at both affordable and market rates helps keep rents low and prevents displacement by meeting the demand. When a city doesn’t build enough housing, the housing shortage gets worse, and the price of housing in a city increases. The people hit hardest by that dynamic are low-income families. As Mayor, I haven’t just talked about creating these forward-thinking policies – we’ve done it. And because of this work, Minneapolis is broadly recognized as being the national leader in housing policy.

    DeWayne Davis
    The reality is that we need much more housing in order for us to be able to address our housing crisis. But the development of that housing can’t come at the price of displacing our neighbors who can’t afford much of the high-end development our current mayor has been courting. We deserve a city where everyone has safe and stable housing they can afford with access to third spaces and parks, healthy food, and quality transit.

    There are a number of strategies I would instruct our city enterprise to use to mitigate displacement, including:

    • My anti-displacement program will focus on keeping housing affordable, expanding economic development and business supports for low-income neighborhoods and corridors, and support for cultural placemaking that reminds groups with historic ties that they always belong.

    • Requiring developers to hire workers within the neighborhoods they’re building in and pay them prevailing wages in order to receive tax credits

    • Requiring developers to include deeply affordable housing (<30% of AMI) as part of any project they build

    • Offering first right of refusal for tenants or non-profit organizations when an owner wants to sell a building with higher levels of naturally occurring affordable housing

    • Developing and growing tools like non-profit Community Land Trusts and the City’s Housing Trust Fund to keep housing affordable and develop more affordable housing

    • Offering property tax relief to low-income homeowners whose increased property values may make their taxes unaffordable

    • Implementing limited-term rent control measures for existing properties to prevent price gouging

    • Offering support for existing landlords to do needed repairs with agreements to keep their rents affordable

    Howard Dotson
    I support this rezoning, but we need to balance revitalization and not resort to gentrification. We need Federal and State grant funding for investors and homeowners to remodel existing homes like we have seen in North Minneapolis with our Ecuadorian community.

    Omar Fateh
    Anti-displacement measures are a top priority for my vision for a city where everyone has a stable and safe home. I believe that if zoning changes and city projects push existing residents out of their communities they are failing to adequately address the needs of our city. That is why, as Mayor, I will:

    • Establish a Just Cause eviction policy, to prevent rental evictions and ensure that landlords don’t price out renters in areas benefiting from zoning changes and city projects

    • Enact a rent stabilization policy to ensure that renters can call Minneapolis home for generations to come.

    • Establish a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act to ensure that renters have an additional tool to access homeownership in these areas.

    • Support the Affordable Housing Right of First Refusal ordinance to preserve affordable housing and keep it locally owned, rather than letting it be hoarded by venture capitalists and wealthy developers.

    Jazz Hampton
    I believe zoning changes should go hand-in-hand with strong anti-displacement protections so that growth benefits everyone. I will explore many plans, including but not limited to right-to-return programs that allow residents displaced by redevelopment to return to new housing in their neighborhoods. I will also work to expand funding for deeply affordable housing and support community ownership models like land trusts, which can help stabilize neighborhoods. I believe in strengthening tenant protections, including advance notice requirements and support for tenants purchasing their buildings. Finally, I will prioritize investments in neighborhoods most vulnerable to displacement to ensure that infrastructure and amenities benefit current residents and do not drive speculative pressure. My goal is for Minneapolis to grow without pushing people out, and I am committed to policies that make that possible.

    Xavier Pauke
    Entering into contractual building with developers & residents would be the only way to fully avoid displacement. Any area that gets renovated in a timely manner would require residents to be temporarily relocated to other housing until the projects are complete. Building new housing across the street and having people move there so the older place can be torn down and built with up to date codes and expanded for more people would be a practical but slow solution as people get shuffled into the new housing so the old ones can be rebuilt.

Question 8: Minneapolis residents, City Council, and the current Mayor are all concerned with rising homelessness rates, which increase the prevalence of local encampments.

Do you support the current mayoral administration’s policy of encampment clearing?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    Yes
    Our practice involves direct outreach from our Homelessness Response Team, coordination with the social service provider in Hennepin County, and collaboration with a number of jurisdictions, including the State of Minnesota. There is a broad consensus in our work to connect people experiencing unsheltered homelessness to shelter/housing, provide culturally sensitive care, and support for addiction treatment and prevention. And, there is broad recognition that large-scale homeless encampments are not safe either for the people living in them or the surrounding neighborhoods.

    DeWayne Davis
    No
    We need to meet our unhoused neighbors with compassion and services, and to depopulate encampments when they arise by finding people stable housing and resources. The current policy of bulldozing encampments with police is inhumane.

    Howard Dotson
    No
    Displacing people in the winter created another public health crisis. We need a better system to support the mental health symptoms that drive the encampments. I was there at encampment clearing with several councilmembers. Where was Mayor Frey?

    Omar Fateh
    No
    Mayor Frey’s current approach of clearing and criminalizing encampments while offering limited and inadequate alternatives for shelter is cruel, expensive and ineffective. I will embrace an approach to homelessness that increases funding for shelters and adopts a compassionate approach to encampments. Our City is more than capable of accommodating everyone who wants to call it home; combining strong housing policy with dignity for unsheltered residents is the way we do that. We must embrace a Housing First approach — housing ends homelessness; whenever possible, people should be connected directly to housing.

    Jazz Hampton
    No
    No – I do not support the current administration’s policy of encampment clearing because simply removing people from one location does not solve the underlying issues they face. We want people to be able to leave voluntarily and with dignity, and to do so quickly, by offering better options the city has proactively created and presented to them. Our focus should be on connecting people to stable housing, mental health resources, addiction treatment, and other services that help them rebuild their lives, rather than pushing them from place to place without real solutions.

    Xavier Pauke
    No
    I have personally not been a fan of setting up cement blocks and fencing to prevent access to the underpasses, boulevards and parks.

Question 9: What will you do to protect people who see encampments as their only option, while increasing and expanding access to stable, permanent and deeply affordable housing for all people in Minneapolis?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    The answer is stable housing. And we are providing record amounts of deeply affordable housing so that people experiencing homelessness have the next rung on the ladder to pull themselves out. We are producing 8.5 times the amount of deeply affordable housing since before I took office, without which we would have no ability to place people coming out of homelessness.
    We are one of the only major cities in the country to reduce unsheltered homelessness since the pandemic. In Minneapolis, unsheltered homelessness is down 33% since 2020. Through our Homeless Response Team, we’ve helped more than 270 people transition into stable housing and services just in the last few months — and we’ve seen 911 and 311 calls in neighborhoods that previously had large encampments drop by nearly 80%. Currently, we have no medium or large-scale encampments in Minneapolis. We have to lead with compassion and outreach, offering to connect people living in encampments with housing, addiction treatment, and other social services — and we will continue to learn and improve how we conduct that outreach and deliver those services. But the truth is that encampments are neither safe nor humane for those who live in them or around them. We have to be willing to close encampments down that have become unsafe, especially when they become targets for human traffickers, violence, and drug traffickers.

    DeWayne Davis
    Folks see encampments as their only option because we have fundamentally failed to address the homelessness crisis at the scale that it requires. There are too few shelter beds and getting into those beds can mean separating from family, community, or pets, enforced sobriety, or hiding one’s gender identity. Living unsheltered on your own is dangerous – unhoused folks face increased levels of violence, exposure to the elements, and mental or chemical health crises. Encampments are a reflection of our human need for safety and community, and the fact that they continue to pop up speaks to our failure to offer our unhoused neighbors true safety and support.

    We need to depopulate encampments with connections to providers, not with police and bulldozers. That the current mayor has used armed police to push unhoused neighbors into isolation at the margins is inhumane. We need to be working in deeper collaboration with the County and the State to ensure that we have enough resources to meet the need, and we need to be able to offer folks in encampments housing options that recognize their autonomy and innate dignity with a housing first model. We also need to develop community-led alternatives to shelter, places where people can feel safe and also connected to their communities.

    Ensuring people get into housing that works for them and offering resources to keep them in that housing is the best way to prevent encampments. We can use public dollars and work closely with non-profits to develop more housing for people at 30% or less of AMI and to build networks of resources like the guaranteed basic income pilot and emergency assistance that keep folks housed. Supportive housing has been proven to be one of the most successful housing interventions – we need to be a partner to non-profits in securing and advocating for funding. We are facing significant cuts from the Federal government, which means that our State, County, and City governments are going to have to step up.

    Howard Dotson
    Mayor Frey never mentioned the opioid epidemic in the State of the City. On WCCO he called Narcan a Bandaid. He has failed to bring in adequate Federal and State partners to address the root cause of encampments

    Omar Fateh
    I will embrace an approach to homelessness that increases funding for shelters and adopts a compassionate approach to encampments, centering public health and human dignity rather than Mayor Frey’s expensive practice of criminalization. Our City is more than capable of accommodating everyone who wants to call it home; combining strong housing policy with dignity for unsheltered residents is the way we do that. In particular, as mayor I will:

    • Prevent rental evictions — the largest contributor to homelessness — by establishing a Just Cause eviction policy.

    • Work with the City Council to pass and implement Safe Parking and Safe Outdoor Spaces ordinances grounded in consent and evidence-based practices in which service and health needs are addressed.

    • Pivot from the practice of evicting encampments when there is nowhere for residents to go and instead work with other jurisdictions to ensure immediate access to safe alternative locations with increased access to essential services.

    • Support a housing-first model to approach homelessness, as has been successful in other jurisdictions like Salt Lake City, in partnership with the County and State.

    • Take a public health approach to encampments and ensure that residents have access to life-saving infrastructure like hand-washing stations, portable bathrooms, running water, safe needle disposal programs, and storage for personal belongings.

    • Work closely with Hennepin County and the State of Minnesota to build and operate shelters that homeless residents want to live in while we work to get them into housing, investing in successful low-barrier models like Avivo Villages and the Stable Homes Stable Schools program.

    • Establish a South Minneapolis Avivo Village.

    • Work to establish accessible navigation hubs to connect residents experiencing homelessness with the services they need.

    • Establish low-barrier job opportunities for people experiencing homelessness.

    Jazz Hampton
    I believe that everyone in Minneapolis deserves safe, stable housing, and that housing is a human right. I will work to protect individuals who are living in encampments by ensuring they have access to low-barrier shelter options that are safe, dignified, and connected to services right in proximity to where people already are.

    I support a housing-first approach, meaning we prioritize getting people into stable housing as the first step, paired with wraparound services like mental health support, addiction treatment, employment resources, and legal assistance. I will expand partnerships with organizations that have deep expertise in this work and often deliver these services more effectively than the city can alone.

    At the same time, we must dramatically increase the supply of deeply affordable housing, through funding the Affordable Housing Trust Fund at higher levels, streamlining processes for affordable housing development, exploring adaptive reuse of existing buildings, and ensuring policies like zoning and development incentives support affordability and equity across all neighborhoods.

    My goal is to reduce the need for encampments altogether by creating a system where people have real choices and pathways into permanent housing, so they don’t have to live outside to survive.

    Xavier Pauke
    I believe reviewing the homeless shelter process and building an inhouse system that works with both homeless people, veterans & those who have fallen between the cracks to get sustainable employment and housing would be the main priority. That said I would also look at expanding that project to the population that wants to support and grow the city that we treasure.

Question 10: Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) gives current tenants the first right to purchase the property that they live in should their landlord want to sell. A policy such as TOPA advances opportunities for community ownership as well as a transfer of wealth back to renters. If you are elected, will you vote to advance TOPA?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    No
    Notably, a coalition of non-profit affordable housing developers/providers (the Twin Cities Housing Alliance) opposed a similar ordinance and asked me to veto it when the City Council passed it last winter. In a different economic climate with more free-flowing housing investment, I may have a different perspective on some version of a first-refusal ordinance. However, I do not believe now is the right time to move forward with this policy, particularly considering the impact that the tariffs and economic uncertainty are having on the housing market. I believe that expanding support for successful programs to protect naturally occurring affordable housing, such as our 4d program, and partnering with nonprofit affordable housing developers are better strategies to accomplish the same goals.

    DeWayne Davis
    Yes

    Howard Dotson
    Yes
    Increased Home ownership not only is financial benefit for the owner. Increased home owners helps stabilizes a community. People tend to invest more in their community when they have this long term relationship.

    Omar Fateh
    Yes
    Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act is an important tool to advance more community ownership of housing and transfer wealth and more control of housing back to renters. This legislation has been very successful in other cities and as Mayor I will be excited to work alongside the Council to pass a strong TOPA policy in Minneapolis as well.

    Jazz Hampton
    Yes
    Yes, I support advancing a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act in Minneapolis because it can be an important tool for giving renters a real pathway to ownership and building community stability.

    However, I believe it is crucial that we talk to all stakeholders, including renters, housing advocates, and professionals in real estate, so we fully understand the impacts, both intended and unintended, and make sure the policy works in practice. We also need to ensure that any TOPA process is designed to move quickly and efficiently so tenants have a genuine chance to act without deals falling apart due to delays.

    I am committed to exploring policies like TOPA that help transfer wealth back to renters, strengthen communities, and keep people in the neighborhoods they call home.

    Xavier Pauke
    Yes
    All for it. Having landlords & property owners that don’t even live in the area let alone the state is impractical and becoming a significant problem world wide.

Question 11: Will you support using city resources to establish locally-owned housing–sometimes referred to as social housing–that is permanently affordable, protected from private market forces, publicly owned, and under democratic governance by the tenants?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    Yes
    And, we have increased funding for public housing to 5 times the previous amount.

    DeWayne Davis
    Yes

    Howard Dotson
    Yes
    The people united will never be divided. These tenants associations will come their unique sets of challenges. Nonetheless, we need more local control and greater protections from the crude and dehumanizing supply and demand economics.

    Omar Fateh
    Yes
    The most impactful way to address the housing crisis in Minneapolis, and to ensure that everyone who wishes to build their life here has access to a stable home, is to build more housing that benefits everyone in our city. I believe that the best way to do that is to explore investment in permanently affordable, protected from private market forces, publicly owned and under democratic governance of those that live there. That is why, as Mayor, I will support using city resources to invest in social housing. I would prioritize public housing in the city’s bonding requests to the state, and additionally, funding that has been earmarked for projects such as public funding for arenas or stadiums can instead be invested into building thousands of locally-owned public housing units. This is a crucial opportunity that could provide housing for some many that are in need in our city, and I am committed to getting to work on exploring this option on day 1.

    Jazz Hampton
    Yes
    Yes. Minneapolis needs bold solutions to our housing affordability crisis. I support using city resources to establish locally-owned social housing because it creates permanently affordable homes while empowering residents with democratic control.
    Social housing removes housing from speculative market forces that drive displacement and keeps profits in our community. When residents have governance power, we build stronger, more engaged neighborhoods that reflect our values of racial and economic equity.
    I’ll start with pilot projects on city-owned land, partnering with community land trusts and housing cooperatives. We can leverage federal funding and learn from successful models like Vienna and Montgomery County.
    The private market alone won’t solve our housing crisis. We need public solutions that prioritize people over profit – creating not just affordable homes, but thriving communities where residents have both security and voice.

    Xavier Pauke
    Yes
    On the condition that it has provisions to prevent a monopoly or loopholes for one person to buy up all of the property then sell it to a private company.

Question 12: Today, city property taxes are set primarily on the “improvements” or value of the buildings on land. As a result, “low value” land with parking lots or vacant lots pay very little in taxes while making surrounding neighborhoods less livable. This incentivizes low-value land owners to engage in land speculation for years or even decades until they get a big payout. A Land Value Tax (LVT) doesn’t change their taxes to the city; it shifts how taxes are set to be primarily based on the value of the land to discourage land speculation.

If the state passes legislation to allow it–pending special session outcomes–will you vote to pilot a LVT to encourage development of under-used land in Minneapolis?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    Yes

    DeWayne Davis
    Yes

    Howard Dotson
    Yes
    We need a fairer tax structure. These speculators dont have the same personal stake in the community. With our housing shortage we need to maximize our development options.

    Omar Fateh
    Yes
    In my role as a state senator, I am very proud to be the chief author on the bipartisan bill SF 1422, which would empower cities to pass Land Value Tax districts. I believe this would be a valuable tool for exactly the reasons you cite: it would be a very helpful tool to deter the land speculation that has led to so many vacant and underused lots in the city. As mayor I would actively lead the effort to implement LVT districts in areas with excessive underused lots, such as the Lake Street Corridor and the Hiawatha Corridor.

    Jazz Hampton
    Yes
    Yes, I would support piloting a Land Value Tax if the state grants the authority. I believe we need creative tools to discourage land speculation and unlock more productive uses for under-used land across our city. A Land Value Tax could help shift incentives so property owners are motivated to invest in building housing and businesses rather than holding land vacant for profit, which harms our neighborhoods and limits housing supply. As mayor, I would work to ensure any pilot is implemented thoughtfully, with community engagement, clear data tracking, and protections to avoid unintended consequences, especially for homeowners and small businesses. I believe this tool could help us advance more equitable development and make better use of the land resources we have in Minneapolis.

    Xavier Pauke
    Yes
    I would have to look into this more and understand the system with all of the loop holes in order to work towards building a better alternative. We can always strive to do better.

Question 13: Rent stabilization continues to be considered in Minneapolis. Supporters hope to discourage unfair rent gouging and displacement. Opponents worry it could stifle the development of new homes.

How would you evaluate rent stabilization policy? What components could you vote for and which would you not be able to vote for?

Examples of policy components include, but are not limited to: a specific percentage cap on rent increases, a new construction exemption, vacancy decontrol, just cause eviction, etc.

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    I support the goals of rent control supporters, but unfortunately, rent control doesn’t work. In city after city, it has failed to stop rents from going up, and it has made their housing shortage worse. What works is 1) investing in affordable housing — especially deeply affordable housing serving those making <30% of area median income — and 2) making it easier to build more housing of all kinds, including market-rate housing. We have seen good results from the work we’re doing. We are producing deeply affordable units (0-30% area median income) at nearly 8.5 times compared to the period before I became mayor. Our Stable Homes Stable Schools program for MPS families facing homelessness or housing insecurity has helped provide stable housing to over 6000 kids across 2000 families. And making it easier to build more housing through the 2040 plan has helped keep rent increases much lower in Minneapolis compared to the rest of the country. But we still have to do more. We have a blueprint for how to increase access to stable, affordable housing in every neighborhood — expanding on programs that we know work, pursuing more changes to make it easier to build housing, and investing in deeply affordable housing.

    DeWayne Davis
    We deserve a city where everyone, regardless of income or neighborhood, can afford safe and stable housing, and we need policy solutions to help stimulate production of affordable housing and keep rents at affordable levels.

    We’re facing a housing shortage–we don’t have enough homes for everyone who wants to live here. We need to ensure we’re building more homes, accessible at all income levels, to ensure that everyone who wants to be a part of our community and make their home here can do so. I am committed to creating and maintaining affordable housing through public investment in affordable housing, policies that allow for the development of small-scale multifamily housing, and innovative practices to support naturally occurring affordable housing, such as support for local landlords and homeowners for needed maintenance or upgrades with an agreement that they keep rents affordable. We have to prioritize solutions to the housing crisis that both acknowledge the need for more units, while also ensuring people at every income-level can afford to live with dignity in our city.

    We can’t just build our way out of this crisis. We need policies that will help stabilize rents in our city – people are struggling with significant increases in rent as our current mayor continues to prioritize the development high-end properties that push rents up across the city. The diversity of our neighborhoods’ and communities’ housing needs mean we need stabilization policies that are dynamic and nuanced. As we look at any policy we’ll need to consider the impacts on communities and neighborhoods (especially the renters) that have faced systemic disinvestment, the impacts on our naturally occurring affordable housing, and the impacts on the development of much needed affordable housing. As mayor, I commit to using whichever tools we can to stabilize rents for our residents.

    Howard Dotson
    We need greater rent control and caps on rent increases. We need to more proactively balance these market forces and the quality of life for our residents. The emotional stressors on our working family’s needs to be factored in more.

    Omar Fateh
    Minneapolis is in a housing crisis. Housing is a human right, but our City isn’t doing nearly enough to provide safe and affordable housing for all its residents. As Mayor, I will explore every avenue to ensure Minneapolis can be home for everyone who wishes to build their life here. I support rent stabilization as one of many necessary measures to address the housing crisis in our city. In 2021, a majority of voters supported being able to vote on a rent stabilization policy. I believe that as Mayor, I would have a mandate to follow through on what voters overwhelmingly supported, and present voters with the strongest policy possible. That said, I know that a good executive will work in collaboration with the legislative body towards the best policy for everyone in Minneapolis. I am committed to collaborating with the City Council, and will support the policy that they bring forward. I would vote in favor of a rent stabilization policy that includes a new construction exemption to help ensure new development supports higher housing density, and I would advocate in support of a prevailing wage requirement for new construction exemptions.

    Jazz Hampton
    I believe housing policy in Minneapolis must carefully balance two critical goals: keeping people stably housed and ensuring we continue to build the new homes our city desperately needs.

    I do not support strict, broad rent control measures like those enacted in St. Paul, which have significantly slowed new housing construction and jeopardized our ability to meet demand. At its core, Minneapolis has a housing volume problem — we simply don’t have enough homes. Policies that risk further constraining development should not be our first choice.

    However, I share the goal of protecting renters from sudden and unjustified rent hikes. I am open to exploring targeted policies that address extreme rent increases without discouraging new construction. For example, I support just cause eviction protections, as well as measures like expanding the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, expediting permits for affordable and workforce housing, incentivizing housing near transit, exploring tenant opportunity-to-purchase programs, investing in community land trusts, and preserving naturally occurring affordable housing.

    While I’m cautious about blanket percentage caps on rent increases, I am open to discussing creative solutions that prevent tenants from being priced out of their homes, especially those who wish to remain long-term in their communities.

    Ultimately, my priority is to protect renters from predatory practices and displacement, while ensuring Minneapolis can grow and build the housing our residents urgently need.

    Xavier Pauke
    A soft cap on rent by square footage or number of bedrooms with a percentage hard cap based on the property taxes up to a maximum until the building is paid off from construction cost. Then the percentage rate would be removed. I would be in favor of this type of system as long as its functionally sound.

Question 14: Evictions in Minneapolis have skyrocketed since the eviction moratorium was lifted and far too many renters are one paycheck away from losing their home.

What ideas do you have to reduce evictions in our communities?

  • Jacob Frey (Incumbent)
    Eviction protection actions have been one of the pillars of my affordable housing goals, and the need for them has only grown since the pandemic. This includes direct city funding for services connecting residents to legal services for residents facing eviction. But one of the programs that I am especially proud of is the More Representation Minneapolis program, a partnership we set up between the mayor’s office and some of the city’s leading law firms to dramatically increase access to pro bono legal services for Minneapolis residents facing eviction. The demand for increased eviction legal services is greater than the city budget can meet on our own, and building on initiatives like More Representation Minneapolis can help us fill that gap.

    DeWayne Davis
    Local research has shown that evictions in our city are most often because the tenant couldn’t pay their rent – and on average, they are less than two months behind. Evictions are expensive for renters and they make it harder for them to secure future housing. We deserve a city that cares for its residents by keeping them in their homes.

    Short-term, we need to make sure that people facing eviction have resources they need to stay in their homes. The city needs to coordinate with the County and legal aid organizations to make sure that every Minneapolis resident facing eviction has legal representation. We also need to make sure that people facing eviction have access to Emergency Assistance, meaning we need to work closely with the County to ensure our residents access those resources.

    Evictions can also result from developers buying up naturally occurring affordable housing, doing basic renovations, and then raising rents. We need city ordinances that will offer tenants and/or non-profit organizations focused on affordable housing the right of first refusal to buildings that have significant amounts of below-market rents – and we need funding to offer low or no-interest loans to finance those purchases. Those ordinances should also include just cause eviction policies to ensure that landlords are using evictions as a last resort.

    But we also need long-term solutions. Firstly, we need to build more affordable housing, especially for people at 30% of AMI or below, and we need to tap into unused streams of funding to do so. We need to support wages that allow our residents to be able to afford their housing by supporting the unions that represent them and using the city’s status as a major employer and contractor to do so.

    We have also seen remarkable success from the County’s guaranteed basic income pilot. I will work closely with the County to learn from that program and expand it to more Minneapolis residents whose housing is especially precarious.

    Howard Dotson
    Just we have helped people with medical debt, we should partner with investors for small loans for renters facing eviction. Micro enterprise loans for renters at risk for eviction.

    Omar Fateh
    Rental evictions are the largest contributor to homelessness in Minneapolis, and are devastating to our communities. I know that one of the keys to addressing the housing crisis in our city is preventing evictions. That is why establishing a Just Cause for Evictions policy is a top priority of mine. Currently, landlords don’t need to provide any reason for refusing to renew a tenant’s lease, and can use any lease violation to evict a tenant mid lease. This is unacceptable, and greatly contributes to housing instability for all renters in our city. As Mayor, I will work alongside the Council towards a policy that prevents and protects tenants from evictions.

    Jazz Hampton
    Evictions harm families, destabilize neighborhoods, and deepen inequality, so preventing them must be a priority. As a lawyer, I’ve spent years fighting for those who lack access to the legal guidance they deserve, including building an entire platform, TurnSignl, which now makes an attorney available to over 200,000 people within 15 seconds, 24/7/365. I’m proven to be dedicated to ensuring people have the support they need when their rights are on the line.

    I support expanding legal representation for tenants facing eviction, increasing funding for emergency rental assistance, and strengthening programs that help mediate landlord-tenant disputes before they reach court. I also believe we need clearer, fairer notice requirements and protections against landlord retaliation when tenants assert their rights. As mayor, I would work closely with community organizations, legal aid, and housing advocates to design policies that keep people housed, because housing stability is essential for a thriving city.

    Xavier Pauke
    It should be the primary goal to improve the city’s infrastructure, power grid, long term maintenance and other aspects to drive down the cost of standard bills. If the budget allows the opportunity to offer credits or lower property taxes to land owners with the condition of lowered rents & mortgages, that would be my goal so that people aren’t at risk of eviction.

    Long term tenants that maintain the same residence could even be incentivized as a good faith for being a Minneapolis resident. This is home & it should feel like home. Whether it’s a bonus to the CRP or a rent reduction credit empowering the city to grow and improve should be the end goal.