City/Town: Princeton

Legislative District: House District 27B

Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

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 policy works best when it is guided by facts, measurable outcomes, and input from the people most affected. Minnesota should take a hard look at where housing challenges are most severe, which populations are being left behind, and which policies have proven effective both here and in other states.

Addressing housing inequities begins with understanding the root causes. In some communities, the challenge may be housing supply, while in others it may be access to financing, aging housing stock, infrastructure limitations, disability accessibility, workforce shortages, or local zoning barriers. A one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to succeed.

I support using reliable data to identify gaps in housing opportunity and to target resources where they can have the greatest impact. Just as importantly, we need accountability. Programs should have clear goals, transparent reporting, and regular evaluation so taxpayers and communities can see whether investments are producing real results.

Local residents, housing providers, employers, and community organizations should all have a seat at the table. By combining community input with evidence-based decision-making, we can expand housing opportunities and improve affordability for Minnesotans across all communities.

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?

Everyone deserves the opportunity to live in safe, stable housing with dignity and as much independence as possible. At the same time, we should recognize that some individuals face challenges that make it difficult to obtain or maintain housing without additional support. Those challenges can include disabilities, mental health issues, substance use disorders, aging-related needs, or other circumstances that require ongoing assistance.

I support approaches that connect housing with voluntary support services when those services help people achieve long-term stability. The goal should not be to control how people live in their homes, but to provide the tools and resources necessary for them to succeed and remain housed.

Supportive housing programs should be evaluated based on outcomes. We should look at whether people are remaining housed, experiencing improved health and well-being, reducing interactions with emergency services, and moving toward greater independence when possible. Programs that demonstrate success should be supported, while those that do not should be reevaluated and improved.

I also believe solutions should be flexible. Not every person experiencing housing instability has the same needs, and a range of housing and support options is necessary. By combining compassion, accountability, and evidence-based practices, we can help more Minnesotans achieve stable housing and a better quality of life.

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?

Homeownership remains one of the most effective ways for families to build stability and long-term financial security. Unfortunately, too many Minnesotans are finding that homeownership is moving further out of reach because housing costs are rising faster than incomes.

The most important step we can take is to increase the supply of homes at a variety of price points. That means identifying and removing unnecessary barriers that make it harder or more expensive to build starter homes, condominiums, townhomes, cooperative housing, and workforce housing. A healthy housing market requires enough supply to meet demand.

I also believe we need to honestly examine market factors that may be reducing opportunities for first-time buyers. Housing is first and foremost a place for people to live, raise families, and build communities. While investment has a role in the housing market, we should be cautious about policies or practices that allow those with significant resources to gain an outsized advantage over families trying to purchase their first home.

I support data-driven policies that expand homeownership opportunities, promote responsible development, and help more Minnesotans move from renting to owning. Success should be measured by whether more working families, young adults, and first-time buyers can realistically purchase a home and build a future in the communities they call home.

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 support reviewing and modernizing zoning regulations where they unnecessarily limit housing availability or make homes more expensive to build. Minnesota’s housing challenges differ from community to community, so I do not believe a one-size-fits-all solution is appropriate.

In many cases, reforms such as accessory dwelling units, duplexes, townhomes, and other forms of “missing middle” housing can help create additional housing opportunities without dramatically changing the character of a neighborhood. I am also open to examining regulations that add unnecessary costs or delays to housing construction.

At the same time, affordability should not come at the expense of quality of life. Creating more housing should not mean forcing people into poorly planned developments, inadequate infrastructure, unsafe housing conditions, or housing that fails to meet the needs of families. The goal should be to expand options, not simply maximize density for its own sake.

I believe local residents, builders, employers, and community leaders should all have a voice in these discussions. We should carefully evaluate which reforms are producing meaningful results and which may be creating unintended consequences.

Ultimately, I support practical, data-driven zoning reforms that increase housing supply, improve affordability, and strengthen local tax bases while ensuring communities remain desirable places to live, work, and raise families. Housing policy should focus on creating more opportunities and choices for Minnesotans, not fewer.

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?

Before discussing new taxes or dedicated revenue streams, I believe we need a clear understanding of how existing housing funds are being used and whether they are producing measurable results. The amount spent on housing should be driven by evidence, outcomes, and identified needs, not by comparisons to household budgets or arbitrary spending targets.

If additional investment is warranted, I would prioritize approaches that directly increase housing availability, improve affordability, and demonstrate a strong return on investment for taxpayers. This could include programs that successfully expand housing supply, support first-time homebuyers, preserve existing affordable housing, or address barriers that prevent new housing from being built.

I am generally cautious about creating permanent revenue streams or constitutional dedications without strong accountability measures. Dedicated funding should have clearly defined goals, transparent reporting, and regular evaluation to ensure Minnesotans can see what results are being achieved.

Ultimately, my focus is not on spending more for the sake of spending more. It is on identifying effective solutions, funding what works, and ensuring taxpayers receive measurable value from every dollar invested. Housing policy should be driven by results: more attainable homes, greater stability for families, and stronger communities across Minnesota.

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

My housing priority is ensuring that policy decisions are driven by results rather than assumptions. Whether we are discussing housing supply, affordability, homeownership, supportive housing, or public investment, we should evaluate policies based on their effectiveness in helping Minnesotans secure stable housing.

In my district, I am particularly interested in understanding the specific barriers that prevent housing development and homeownership opportunities. Those barriers may include local regulations, infrastructure limitations, workforce shortages in the construction trades, financing challenges, or other factors that vary from community to community.

I believe housing policy should focus on expanding opportunity. That means creating pathways to homeownership, supporting a range of housing options, encouraging responsible development, and ensuring taxpayer resources are used effectively. We should continue listening to residents, local governments, builders, employers, and housing providers to identify practical solutions that reflect local needs.

Ultimately, I want to see more Minnesotans able to find a home they can afford, whether they choose to rent or own, while maintaining strong communities and responsible stewardship of public resources.