Minnesota Votes for Housing 2020
Candidate responses in italics.
Name: Kenneth Bush
City/Town: Rochester
Legislative District: 25B
Party: R
1: A national poll in May 2020 found that 78% of the public believes our elected leaders are not putting enough attention on people’s need for help to pay for their housing during the coronavirus outbreak. What do you believe is the role of government in ensuring everyone has access to housing?
I believe the government such as HUD Housing and Urban Development plays a great role in providing housing for many and I have been an HRA commissioner so I have been apart of affordable housing programming. It also takes the private housing industry to be an integrated part of this process as mainly private owner provide the housing stock for vouchers.
2: In Minnesota, 80 of 87 counties do not have the capacity to provide sufficient shelter or temporary housing to those who are homeless. Nationally, a study of US cities found that 25 percent of all requests for emergency shelter went unmet. What will you do to end homelessness?
I will continue my work as a housing advocate and work with developers, realtors property managers & others and my legislative colleagues and private & non -profit housing organizations. I have been working in this profession for over 20 years.t the State of Minnesota.
3: According to the Census Bureau's July 22 Household Pulse Survey for Minnesota, and Stout’s analysis of this data, there are 132,000 potential eviction filings over the next 4 months in Minnesota. Over 90% of evictions in Minnesota are for non-payment of rent. What will you do to prevent evictions?
Our Government created good policy such as stopping evictions during covid and by allowing property tax extensions. I would like to re-examine the entire process and make it more empathetic especially during covid. We also have to work with property owners and attorney's and others like legal aid. We must also consider the owners suffer during this time as well and do not want evictions for anybody legally renting and abiding by rules of the lease.. fer as well. I believe an extended tax break is a good idea and a win-win equation.
4: Being denied where to live because of race, family status, or disability is discrimination. In Minnesota, 53% more whites are homeowners than Black residents, a statistic that dwarfs the national racial homeownership gap of 30%. What meaningful steps will you take to address the root problems of racial disparities in housing?
I would consider a removal of rental licensure. We must have a transparent mediation process and take steps to create educational programs with input from those that have been discriminated upon.
6: More than ever, the public understands the connection between housing and health, as well as education, transportation, and more. What housing-based strategy would you use to improve health outcomes for Minnesotans?
Housing is Healthcare and we need to do a better job especially with our State largest employers being the World's Best Healthcare Institution.
I would propose new legislation to use rental tax credit for reporting purposes and consider it also as a saving account for down-payment assistance..
We are doing some citizen impact studies to get to the root of the issues as the example must be the party to the issue to learn best practices of what to do or not to do, This would be used for reference of education in seeking solutions.
