2025 Minneapolis Housing Questionnaire — Ward 2

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. We received responses from Robin Wonsley (Incumbent) and Shelley Madore.

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    Yes

    Shelley Madore
    Yes

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    Yes
    While I would provisionally support such a catalog of home plans, I do believe that design fees are necessary to cover the cost of services and pay the staff doing the work. I do not support plans that streamline the design and building process at the expense of fair wages and sustainable working conditions for workers.

    Shelley Madore
    Yes

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    As a Black socialist, I work hard every day to educate and organize around the history of racial capitalism and how to overcome it. There are countless ways to creatively chip away at the structures that have oppressed BIPOC Minneapolis residents. I’m fighting for rent control, Tenant Opportunity to Purchase, Just Cause Eviction Protection, tenant unions, rent & mortgage cancellation, and no-barrier housing for all people to combat the legacy of racist and exclusionary housing policy. I secured a fivefold increase in city funding for public housing, to $5 million per year. I’m fighting for union jobs training programs and a Green New Deal to turn a new page on the racial wealth gap. I’ve advocated for Black and Brown entrepreneurs and small business owners by supporting a municipal bank and union-career pathways for these communities.

    I am a vocal supporter of the Twin Cities Boulevard project to restore I-94 to an at-grade boulevard to remediate some of the environmental and economic violence done to the BIPOC communities it displaced. I supported the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute’s efforts to reclaim the Roof Depot building as a community center and urban farm, and prevent the city from creating a public-works facility that would increase congestion and pollution in the area, compounding the city’s neglect and industrial exploitation of the racially diverse, working-class residents of the Phillips neighborhood. I authored a budget amendment investing $100,000 into green infrastructure, allowing expansion of the City’s green workforce. Following the citywide movement for the People’s Climate and Equity Plan, I took legislative action to advance a Pollution Control Annual Registration fee which would charge polluters a fee for carbon emissions.

    I will continue to oppose any and all profit-driven, private-sector housing projects that prioritize profits over people, especially those carried out by non-local builders and backed by private-equity firms.

    Shelley Madore
    Restorative justice must be demanded for every community that has historically faced inequities; whether that is in education, public safety, transportation, environment, healthcare, employment, and city planning.

    Housing is one of the most impactful ways that our city government can take restorative justice measures to directly address its historic and ongoing harms. Housing is a human right. A lack of housing is a lack of safety, and a lack of dignity.

    We need affordable, equitable housing that supports Minneapolis residents. Part of a solution to this issue is recognizing why we don’t have enough affordable housing in our community. Like every city in the United States, Minnesota has a history of racial discrimination. Through downzoning, our city government reinforced and perpetuated residential segregation. Legislation to unlock those patterns of segregation is currently sitting in the Minnesota Capitol. I would work in coordination with our local legislative leaders to promote policies and programs to unlock those patterns of segregation.

    I would prioritize the implementation and funding of policies and programs that work to benefit communities harmed by our government through redlining, segregation, and discriminatory housing policy. We must eliminate predatory lending practices that disproportionately hurt our low income neighborhoods. I would work to improve accessible housing by supporting the expansion of affordable, frequent transit service in underserved neighborhoods. Additionally, there are educational barriers that prevent youth in our communities from learning about financial literacy and opportunities to hold high paying jobs. I would utilize city resources to partner with local industry, unions, and trades to increase youth outreach and engagement.

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    Yes

    Shelley Madore
    Yes

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    Yes

    Shelley Madore
    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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    Yes

    Shelley Madore
    Yes

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    My response to Question 3 includes my vision for preventing displacement, especially of BIPOC residents and businesses, but I will reiterate that any housing or transit development must include a long-range intentional plan to control housing prices and rent, incentivize business owners to support that development, and minimize displacement of working-class and BIPOC communities.

    Shelley Madore
    Under the current city administration, the 2040 Plan has already allowed for the revision of zoning codes to accommodate greater density and building along our transit corridors. I support the 2040 Plan and will work to make sure that these policies are fully implemented to the benefit of Minneapolis residents. If elected, I will advocate on the Business, Housing & Zoning Committee to support these zoning changes.

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    No.*

    *Note: this answer was previously listed as “Yes”.

    Shelley Madore
    Yes

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    My approach to our city’s housing crisis frames housing as a human right and centers a humane approach to supporting our unhoused population, including interventions to address the addiction, domestic violence, and sex trafficking that affect encampments. I support programs that connect encampment residents and other unhoused individuals with the social services they need. I believe we must massively expand our supply of subsidized public housing and streamline the placement process so these communities can find sustainable, supportive housing solutions.

    Shelley Madore
    Hennepin County has many services to ensure that encampments are not the only option, and I would work to expand Minneapolis’ collaborative relationship with Hennepin County to eliminate gaps in their housing services. There are dozens of accessible, but underfunded, programs offering residents low barrier shelters, treatment facilities, and long term housing solutions. We have already begun efforts to increase stable, deeply affordable housing through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Minneapolis 2040 Plan, Stable Homes Stable Schools, and 4d Affordable Housing. I will advocate for increased funding with our state legislative leaders to ensure that Hennepin County can meet their obligations.

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    Yes

    Shelley Madore
    Yes

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    Yes

    Shelley Madore
    Abstain
    Using city resources to establish new social housing leads to funding barriers imposed by federal, state, and county restrictions. I support tenants unionizing, such as the Glendale Tenants Union, that exists to protect tenants from threats such displacement, uncontrolled rent increase, and gentrification.

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    Yes

    Shelley Madore
    Yes

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.

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    I believe a strong rent control policy should not include any exemptions that developers might exploit to skirt the law. I support a rent-control policy that includes a 3% cap on increases, prohibits vacancy decontrol, and does not allow exemptions for new construction.

    Shelley Madore
    I would support any thoroughly researched policy that would discourage unfair rent gouging and displacement, as long as it is supported by city staff and the public. The Minneapolis City Council approved the creation of a rent stabilization work group to research the impacts of a rent stabilization policy in our city. After extensive community engagement, the Rent Stabilization Staff Analysis Report raised concerns that are specific to Minneapolis. I am committed to reducing renter cost-burden, especially through targeted programs and policy that serve historically excluded and underserved communities.

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?

  • Robin Wonsley (Incumbent)
    I have supported and will continue to fight for just-cause eviction protection, tenant unions, and rent & mortgage cancellation. My office will also be exploring how to amend our eviction pre-filing ordinance to ensure that no MPS family can be evicted during the school year.

    Shelley Madore
    Anyone who rents rental property in Minneapolis is required to have a rental license through Regulatory Services. In addition, that comes with a responsibility of informing tenants of their rights through their lease. One action that I would take would be to create a downloadable booklet that expands upon the Attorney General of Minnesota’s Landlord and Tenant Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. This booklet would highlight accessible information on financial services that are available through Hennepin County for those struggling with housing, including through their Tenant Resources Connection. I would require that landlords distribute this information to their tenants minimally once a year upon their lease renewal. This information could be easily made more accessible and I believe that distributing it would decrease evictions in our community.