Eighty percent of Minnesota voters say the cost of renting or buying a home is a somewhat or very significant problem, and two thirds (67%) of voters say there are not enough homes for average people to rent or buy.

In a by-right system, planning staff can quickly approve a project based solely on whether it meets established legal requirements or not. No further approval from local boards, city councils or the public is required.

Yesterday the Minnesota Legislature passed a key provision that will ensure our environmental laws cannot be weaponized against building more needed homes. The provision ensures that comprehensive plans cannot be challenged under the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act, ending the lawsuit over the Minneapolis 2040 Plan and closing the door to similar lawsuits in the future.

As someone whose generation is currently facing rising rents, persistent and extreme low vacancy rates, housing insecurity and a worsening climate crisis set to displace countless people from the coasts, it’s upsetting to hear people talk about how inconvenienced and disturbed they are to have just a few more neighbors on their block. Too often, those who voice concerns about new housing do not live in fear of rising rents, and consequently find it so easy to deny housing stability to others.