City/Town: Marshall

Legislative District: House District 15A

Party: Republican Party of Minnesota

Candidate responses in italics.

Q1: Housing plays a critical role in economic stability, health, and quality of life for individuals and families. However, disparities in housing continue to affect communities of color, people with disabilities, rural communities, and other historically underserved populations. What meaningful actions should be taken to acknowledge, address, and eliminate housing inequities and advance housing opportunities for all Minnesotans?

We should work to increase the options and availability of housing for all economic sectors of our population in Minnesota; this includes reviewing zoning laws and other regulations that restrict these options

Q2: Supportive housing combines affordable housing with support services that help people who face the most complex challenges to live with stability, autonomy, and dignity. Supportive housing provides better outcomes and is fiscally responsible. What will you do to ensure community members who are unhoused or unstably housed receive the support they need to obtain or keep their own homes?

I will support efforts to assist lowering barriers to home ownership, including lowering property taxes and other expenses

Q3: Homeownership is a way to build generational wealth, provide family and household stability, and support community vibrancy. More and more Minnesotans are priced out of owning a home because of rising housing costs, including purchase price, homeowners’ insurance, and property taxes. What steps will you take to increase opportunities for renters and first-time homebuyers to purchase homes, condos, or cooperative ownership models?

I will work to reduce regulatory and tax burdens that restrict access to home ownership

Q4: In the last several years, bipartisan action to streamline building of new homes and apartments has passed in several states, including: allowing for multifamily buildings in select commercial areas, limiting parking requirements, allowing smaller homes on smaller lots, and more homes per lot in residential areas like duplexes, fourplexes, and accessory dwelling units. What reforms do you support to modernize zoning to both enable homes to be more affordable statewide and improve city tax bases?

I will work for legislation that encourages local governments to change zoning laws to improve access to lower cost housing

Q5: Despite housing being the largest cost in the average household budget, housing receives only a small fraction of the total state budget at just 0.3%. A lack of ongoing reliable funding for housing in Minnesota’s state budget has resulted in an undersupply of stable homes affordable to our workforce, our elders, and our families. In recent years, a constitutional amendment for housing, which would dedicate revenues from a sales tax increase to housing, has gained momentum at the legislature. What revenue options will you champion to more adequately meet our need for reliable funding for homes we can afford?

I am not in favor of further fueling the demand for housing or for raising taxes; neither approach will increase the supply of housing

Q6: If you have other housing policy priorities, especially specific to your district’s housing needs, please share them here.

Let’s work together to increase the supply of quality, low cost housing.
Come see me in St. Paul to discuss ideas and options, or call me anytime before the election to develop a strategy and help me understand how we might collaborate on your goals.

Thanks for the opportunity to connect!
Brad Hennen