More places to call home
October 29, 2018
New report highlights housing as single best investment for Minnesota's economy
According to Governor Dayton’s recent report on housing, the single best investment we can make to ensure Minnesota’s economic competitiveness is to increase the amount and quality of stable housing for all Minnesotans. With the rising cost of housing, transportation, health care, education and other basic goods outpacing average incomes, Minnesotans are cost-burdened by their housing, hampering our state’s prosperity and posing one of the biggest issues facing our communities today.
The report maps out six principles of a resilient housing system that Minnesota should reinforce or expand:
- Fair and equitable access to safe, quality, stable housing
- A full range of housing choices
- Effective partnerships between public, private and nonprofit sectors
- Focusing limited public resources on segments of the housing market not well served by the private sector
- Housing stability support such as job training, education and child care
- Flexible solutions to meet the market realities of communities with varying needs
At the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundations, we’ve been partnering with donors, nonprofits, public entities and community members on initiatives to make these principles a reality for decades, from emergency shelters to housing stabilization efforts to affordable rental housing and home ownership.