The Broken System
Why can’t we build affordable homes?
Minnesota cities and government agencies have created roadblocks that add tens of thousands of unnecessary dollars to the price of new homes. While these roadblocks were not intentionally created to block affordably built homes, they now serve as a major hurdle for many Minnesotans.
Most of the roadblocks are through government rules and regulations. With safety, durability, and environmental consciousness remaining top priorities, it’s important to lift the roadblocks that would help us build more homes, more affordably. We are over 120,000 homes short right now, and that number grows each year.
Why would any government add unnecessary costs?
Many of today’s roadblocks started out as good ideas many decades ago, but they’ve become outdated, complicated, and extremely expensive for homeowners.
Zoning Roadblocks
Zoning is the necessary power granted to a City to plan for safe and sensible uses of land. However, cities have historically used zoning to intentionally exclude communities of color or people in certain economic classes from living in certain areas. Sadly, this exclusion exists today, albeit in different forms. Many cities require that all new homes be built on large lots, with large homes, and with large garages — and some with stone exteriors and fancy landscaping. This may make for posh, designer cities, but it makes homes so expensive that many Minnesotans are priced out.
Image: 1972 | Zoning map, city of Willmar | Minnesota Historical Society | Willmar (Minn.), Public Works, Engineering
Duplicative Protections
We all agreed 50 years ago that it is a good idea to protect wetlands from potential erosion when homes are being constructed. But, instead of finding an efficient way to keep wetlands safe, many different government agencies all attempt to do this independently of one another. They disagree with each other, and require their own permits and engineering plans. The result? Our water protection costs are triple the costs in places like Illinois and Wisconsin creating an unnecessary roadblock.
The Issues
