March 14, 2025 Legislative Priorities Update

What a whirlwind of two weeks for the State Policy Task Force (SPTF). After months of preparation and hard work by the SPTF, our larger coalition, Yes to Homes, launched last week with a bipartisan, bicameral press conference, several news stories, an op-ed from legislators and an op ed from us and two of our coalition partners.

We’ve got several of our bills now public and moving forward (Links below are to the main bill page and the authors amendments presented in committee this week with the latest bill text):

• The Starter Home Act: HF 1987 a-1, / SF 2229 a-1: Allows ADUs, duplexes, townhomes, and smaller homes on smaller lots, removes parking and aesthetic mandates, and removes requirements for HOAs. 
• Increased Housing Options Act: HF 2140 DE1, / SF 2231 a-2:  This allows triplexes and quadplexes within a certain portion of cities within a distance of state funded streets.
• Transforming Main Street Act: HF 2018 A3/ SF 2286 a-3: This bill allows multifamily homes in commercial zones. 
• People Over Parking Act: HF 1309 / SF 1268: This bill removes parking mandates.
• Prohibiting Aesthetic Mandates: HF 2013 DE3 (Senate bill forthcoming).
• Other bills will be coming forward, including a condo defect proposal.

From there, we went straight into bill hearings from March 10-14th, and several N4MN volunteers testified!

• On Tuesday, the House Committee on Housing Policy and Finance heard Starter Homes and Aesthetic Mandates. Both moved forward on strong bipartisan votes to a government committee.  The Senate Committee on Housing and Homelessness heard Starter Homes and the Transforming Main Street Act, and moved both forward with strong bipartisan votes to the State and Local Government Committee. 
• On Wednesday, the House Committee on Housing Policy and Finance heard the Increased Housing Options Act and Transforming Mainstreet Act. Both moved forward to the government committee.
• On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Housing and Homelessness heard the Increased Housing Options act and the People over Parking Act. Both bills moved forward to the local government committee.

Catch up on our BSky thread for all the back and forth in Committee! 

Next up: Stay tuned for exciting news later this week and next as our bills move into the local government committee. Feeling inspired and want to get more involved? It’s not too late!