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.

Minnesota voters know that a lack of housing supply is driving up housing costs, and the majority of Minnesota voters want elected leaders to prioritize building more housing over concerns about “neighborhood character” and “local control.”

Today, Neighbors for More Neighbors and their coalition partners, including ISAIAH, Sierra Club, and Move Minnesota Action released a poll showing the critical importance of housing as an issue for Minnesota voters. The poll showed 85% of Minnesotans say that the cost of renting or buying a home in Minnesota is a major problem or somewhat a problem, while only 2% say it is not really a problem.