City/Town: Rochester

Legislative District: House District 25A

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

Housing is critical to economic stability, family and the quality of life. Minnesota needs to bring common sense solutions that give access to safe and affordable homes to Minnesotans. The average age, nationally, for a first-time homebuyer now is 40 years of age. That’s not acceptable. We need to reduce regulations, lower taxes, and as always, I am all for collaborative partnerships in the public – private sector. We also need to address housing affordability, and availability for those with disabilities, including those with cognitive and intellectual disabilities, such as autism.

Through it all, we must be good stewards of taxpayer’s dollar, and make sure internal controls are in place, and honored, to prevent fraud, unlike what we have seen in our state.

When we increase housing, people will buy, and most likely, stay in that community. We don’t purchase a home, we “invest” in our homes, and when we invest in our homes, people will invest in their communities for which they reside.

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 would like to see a collaborative, and smart approach to this matter, where we can truly measure our return on investments. We need to support practical ideas and suggestions that help Minnesotans find long-term stable housing. We have many great non-profits we can and should be working with on this matter. Let’s identify the road barriers so those in need, especially those individuals with disabilities, or in low-income brackets, can maintain long-term housing and stability. There are different needs for different people. Every human being needs to be treated with dignity. We must and should provide supports, where government can. This support should be there to help people get on their feet. To own a home is one of the most significant rewards we have today. It’s not a house, it’s a home. Certainly, it’s an important topic, and this matter will take several people, and groups, sitting at the table to create, and bring real results of success.

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?

My wife and I were 27 years old when we purchased our first home, married at age 29. First-time homebuyers are becoming more later, and later in age. As previously mentioned, you do not purchase a home, you are investing in a home. Buying a home lets people start to build wealth. We need to address all the costs associated with that, and how can we eliminate some of those, or streamline them better. Regulatory issues continue to be a nuisance, everywhere you turn around. I will support common sense policies that increase opportunities for starter homes, town homes, and more, by reducing regulations and other construction costs that do not make sense and drive-up cost. Property taxes are another area where costs are driven up, and at times, force people out of their homes. Minnesota is taxed to death – it’s time we lower all taxes, not initiate anymore. Let’s get some more housing options out there for individuals, lessen any obstacles, and keep families in their homes, and where businesses want to start a business, and move people here, not let them leave.

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?

At the end of the day, local communities, and their local government need to be involved in making home ownership achievable. Again, we need to look at regulations that increase the cost of building a home. What’s needed, what’s not, in those regulations? I am going to keep an open mind to all of this. If there are excessive parking spaces, why? I think we all agree that we need to see safe and quality homes built as well. Different communities may need different things. It’s vital to involve local leadership in this matter and for them to look at their own ordinances in what they can do to reduce restrictions, and lower costs. Common sense ideas and solutions that drive down cost will be a win-win for everyone.

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 don’t’ believe we need to create another tax stream. Let’s focus on the existing revenues we have now. Perhaps, making sure in all departments, we have checks and balances and end all fraud is a great starter. I have also said in my campaign, all departments, MINUS essential services; public safety, disabilities, veterans, elderly, etc., that I would like to see if each department could try and trim 2% of their budget in administrative costs. Housing dollars, like anything else, should reach the people they are supposed to serve, not fraudsters. So, transparency and accountability are paramount. I must live within my checkbook, and so should Minnesota. We cannot and nor will I support, to just tax and spend our way out of this. We can’t hope and pray that that will work, because it’s proven, it has not. We can address housing, and not raise taxes, or create new taxes, to get this accomplished.

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

In my district, and in all cases, I believe, in Minnesota, we really need to address this critical matter and not just talk about it. We need housing policies that help every walk of life. Rochester, which 95% of my district serves, is having huge growth. We must make sure if we recruit people to live in our communities, that we don’t price them out and they can afford to live here. I will support, once again, reducing regulatory issues, and costs, that don’t make sense and drive up the price of our homes. There is a saying, “Less is More”. I don’t want to take short cuts, but I do believe there are ways to do things more efficiently, at a lower cost. A good housing policy is good for our communities and the local and state economy. I will support more options, cuts costs, be a good steward of taxpayers dollars, and hope we can create an atmosphere of where families aren’t looking to see how they can afford their next house payment, rather, where can they go out for dinner and support our local business community. Common sense policy. I promise to stay open-minded to anything at this point, except raising taxes or adding more regulatory mandates.