Legislator honored for assisting with housing affordability

Housing First Minnesota recently named Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) a recipient of the 2024 Housing Leadership Award. Sen. Rasmusson received this honor for his dedication during the preceding legislative session to advance housing affordability and homeownership.

“The housing leadership award honors legislators who went above and beyond to promote housing affordability during the legislative session,” Mark Foster, vice president of legislative & political affairs for Housing First Minnesota, said. “Senator Rasmusson was a true champion for homeowners and we thank him for his efforts.”

Minnesota is currently experiencing a high demand for more affordable housing, especially among first-time homebuyers. Right now, cities impose costly aesthetic rules—like requiring brick siding or extra porches—that make homes more expensive but do not improve safety. This drives up costs for buyers and blocks the construction of affordable homes. To help address this issue, Senator Rasmusson introduced a key policy to limit cities’ expensive aesthetic requirements on building permits and property developments.

“I am grateful to be recognized for my work in this important policy area,” Sen. Rasmusson shared. “As a conservative, I am a strong advocate for property rights, free market principles and limited government intervention. These values guided my work this session as I fought to protect property owners’ rights and improve housing affordability across Minnesota.”

Specifically, it prevents cities from mandating certain building materials, minimum square footage, particular architectural features, garage sizes, or the inclusion of amenities that require a homeowner’s association. “It is crucial to give Minnesota homeowners more freedom and reduce bureaucratic red tape. My policy accomplishes both goals by giving property owners more control over their own homes,” Sen. Rasmusson shared.

Additionally, Housing First Minnesota recognized Sen. Rasmusson for his bipartisan work on legislation to eliminate minimum parking requirements. A key component of this legislation is language Sen. Rasmusson championed to prevent municipalities from imposing expensive and restrictive requirements on housing projects.

“It is critical to foster a housing market that is more competitive and accessible. I will continue to serve as a strong voice for policies that benefit not only current homeowners but also aspiring homeowners and young families seeking to purchase their first home,” Sen Rasmusson added.

At the same time, Sen. Rasmusson’s policy maintains the freedom of developers and homeowners to establish homeowner associations (HOAs) voluntarily. These mandates often include arbitrary aesthetic standards, which can create economic barriers. Furthermore, municipalities sometimes exploit HOA mandates to shift additional costs onto new developments, exacerbating the affordability crisis.

Housing First Minnesota is the leading voice of homebuilders, remodelers, and all who are dedicated to building safe, durable homes at prices Minnesotans can afford. 

For more information, please visit www.housingfirstmn.org