The Historic 2023 MN Legislative Session
The 2023 Legislative Session in Minnesota was nothing short of groundbreaking. Twin Cities Habitat advocates were able...
Join the movement of Habitat supporters advocating for affordable homeownership in our cities, across Minnesota, and throughout the nation.
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity advocates on the federal, state, and local levels. Through advocacy, we build relationships with lawmakers and create new opportunities for affordable homeownership throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. Our advocacy efforts build on current affordable homeownership investment and enact equitable housing policies. We’re nonpartisan, so we don’t support candidates – we only support policies to make homeownership more equitable and accessible. And all this is only possible through Habitat supporters like YOU taking action!
"I feel pride in owning my home. Today, I urge everybody to stand with Habitat for Humanity." — Hunde, Habitat Homeowner since 2018 and Habitat Advocate
Tuesday, April 25
MN State Capitol, St. Paul
Join Habitat supporters from across Minnesota coming together at the Capitol to advocate for affordable homeownership! No experience is needed: you'll learn all about Habitat's legislative priorities and then have the chance to meet with your legislators.
*Registration closed on April 18—click below to learn more about this event*
Tuesday, April 25
MN State Capitol, St. Paul
Join Habitat supporters from across Minnesota coming together at the Capitol to advocate for affordable homeownership! No experience is needed: you'll learn all about Habitat's legislative priorities and then have the chance to meet with your legislators.
*Registration closed on April 18—click below to learn more about this event*
We advocate for housing policies at the national level through action alerts and by attending the annual Habitat on the Hill D.C. Here are our current national priorities:
HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG ) are resources accessed through partnerships with local communities to develop new homes and ensure housing affordability for Habitat clients. With increasing land and construction costs and stagnating wages, these resources are vital in providing access to homeownership for working-class families.
AmeriCorps has a long history at Twin Cities Habitat, and the service of AmeriCorps members is vital to our mission. We seek increased funding to recruit and support members as they serve onsite and within the Habitat office to engage volunteers, build and renovate homes, and share Habitat’s work with communities across the Twin Cities region.
The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) would provide a federal tax credit to build and rehabilitate homes for lower and middle-income families. Twin Cities Habitat could utilize the NHIA to support the financing of new construction or rehab. New solutions like this one are badly needed to contend with skyrocketing housing costs and the affordable housing crisis.
We advocate for housing policies at the state level through action alerts, hosting Habitat on the Hill MN, Red Blue Build, meeting with legislators, and more. Here are our current state-level priorities:
Alongside the Minnesota Realtors, we are advocating for the creation of a First-Generation Homebuyer Downpayment Assistance program. With leadership and input from the Homeownership Opportunity Alliance, the ask provides downpayment assistance for individuals who do not have access to generational wealth and couldn't achieve homeownership without the assistance. An investment of $176 million will support assistance for a minimum of 5,000 first-generation homebuyers over three years. This statewide approach to downpayment assistance is:
Targeted to first-generation buyers, whose parents do not or did not own a home;
Adequate to meet the need – providing 10% of the purchase price of a home, up to $30,000;
Easily accessible to consumers through community-based lenders, including tribal entities and our state’s existing network of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)
We're also advocating for investment in the Homeownership Education, Counseling, and Training (HECAT) Program. Our ask is to raise HECAT to $3 million over two years, to support much-needed financial coaching, pre-purchase counseling, and homebuyer education, particularly for households of color. Additionally, HECAT provides foreclosure prevention assistance, impacting homeowners statewide.
We advocate for housing policies at the state level through targeted action alerts, events with coalition partners, local grassroots advocacy support, speaking at hearings, and more.
The local-level advocacy agenda is currently in development. Check out what our team pursued last year during the 2023 budget cycle and what they achieved!We advocate to build our capacity to increase our affordable homeownership work throughout the Twin Cities region – by increasing affordable homeownership investment and support policies that create equitable and accessible homeownership for all.
Twin Cities Habitat advocates all year round! While our primary audience can change depending on the time of year, our work to build relationships and work towards goals doesn’t stop. Look at our timeline below to see what we are currently advocating for and how you can support!
Finding out who your representative is so important in allowing you to reach out to advocate! Click here to find out who represents you – all you need is your address!
The Minnesota Secretary of State's website has all the info you'll need, like how to register, find your polling location, who's on your ballot, and more. Visit mnvotes.org.
For more information on how your vote can impact affordable homeownership, check out our blogs below!
May 26, 2023 by Muluk Eltag
The 2023 Legislative Session in Minnesota was nothing short of groundbreaking. Twin Cities Habitat advocates were able...
Apr 14, 2023 by Emily Kirkevold
Co-written by Emily Kirkevold and Muluk Eltag, Policy & Advocacy Coordinators
The Twin Cities' housing shortage has...
Mar 20, 2023 by Blake MacKenzie
Everything starts at home. Your health. Your education. Your wealth-building. Your sense of support and stability. If...