housing affordability and Affordable Housing - what's the difference, and why does it matter?

On 3/23/2026, I had the opportunity to attend the Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee where the Yes to Homes! legislation (aka the Starter Homes Act) was being considered. Ultimately there was a vote to move the legislation to the House floor for a discussion. Unfortunately, the committee members voted against moving it to House floor. 

Rep. Patty Acomb (45B) represents the Minnetonka area and was the most outspoken committee member AGAINST the legislation. I was struck by her anger as she waived papers in the air (presumably the actual legislation) with her right hand and almost yelled, "I SEE NOTHING IN THIS LEGISLATION THAT WILL CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING!"

Creating more affordable housing is NOT the goal of the legislation. Creating more affordable housing requires massive subsidies to bridge the gap of how much housing costs and how much individuals and households can pay. This legislation is asking for NO funding. The Yes to Homes! Legislation addresses the structural barriers created by some local zoning codes that prevent a variety of housing types to be built. Notably, Minnetonka (Rep. Acomb's district) is one of these cities.

At their worst, these zoning rules were created intentionally to exclude certain types and classes of people. A more generous reflection is that these rules were put in place and had the unintended consequence of excluding certain folks. Regardless, the Yes to Homes! legislation will go a long way to allowing the private market to increase the supply of housing by building the types of housing where people want to live. By allowing for more density, more types of housing will be built and housing affordability will increase. Supply and Demand is real.

#AffordableHousing #HousingAffordability

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