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Sandy Pappas (DFL)

Minnesota Votes for Housing 2020

Candidate responses in italics.

Name: Sandy Pappas

City/Town: St. Paul

Legislative District: 65

Party: DFL

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 would like to see efforts to preserve and create more affordable housing from all the levels of government. Certainly at the state level, we could do more than the $100 million we just passed in HIB. We could also do more than the $16 million we just passed for public housing. The state should also invest in shelters. The entire housing continuum should be supported by government

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? 

To address the immediate need, I support Ramsey County using Bethesda Hospital for homeless persons with CD or mental illness. Winter has arrived soon and I'm very concerned about those living in tents. We also have to move upstream & keep people in affordable homes before they become homeless

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?

We currently have a moratorium during the pandemic and I support that. We should be planning now for what we will do after the Governor's eviction order expires. I'm open to hearing ideas from the aadvocates.

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 is abysmal compared to the national racial homeownership gap of 30%. What meaningful steps will you take to address the root problems of racial disparities in housing?

I support our anti-discrimination and anti-predatory lending laws. St Paul Mayor has a new program to help low income people with their down payments so they can become home owners. We have a huge disparity in home ownership between white owners and black home ownership.
 
5: Our housing crisis includes a lack of safe, stable homes in Minnesota. The 2018 Minnesota Task Force on Housing identified a need for 300,000 new ownership and rental homes over the next decade. While there are 180,000 Minnesota renters with incomes at 30% area median income, only 100 units affordable to these families are produced each year. What steps will you take to support Minnesotans’ access to homes, especially for under resourced households?
 
We should be producing a wider variety of affordable housing: manufactured housing, rooming houses (SROs), mother-in-law apartments, shared housing programs. And it also comes down to income- family wages with benefits, and supportive tax policy like the working family credit.
 
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?
 
Affordable housing needs to be located near public transportation, schools & healthclinics.
 
7: Over 188,000 Minnesota renter households between the ages of 25 and 44 are income-qualified to purchase a home but continue to rent, including 64,000 households of color. What steps will you take to increase opportunities for renters to purchase homes, condos, or cooperative ownership models, if they choose?
 
There are a number of non-profits that work with lower income folks to help them into home ownership. Those should be government supported as well.
 
8: Including community recommendations when developing policies and programs is a best practice for effective and lasting solutions. How will you include those impacted by housing needs in developing and implementing housing solutions? 

I will continue to have an open door to meeting with advocates to hear and learn more about the problem and to work on creative and comprehensive solutions.