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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
With the session now fully underway, our committees are hard at work reviewing and debating important legislation. I’m encouraged by the thoughtful conversations taking place and the opportunity to dig into the details of the issues that matter most to our communities. There is a lot of work ahead, but we are off to a strong and productive start. I am grateful for the opportunity to fight for you here in St. Paul, thank you for your support!
Continuing the Work on Housing
As co-chair of the Housing Committee, I have been working closely on housing legislation for the past year, focused on expanding opportunities and addressing the challenges many Minnesotans face when trying to find a place to live. It is no secret that strong communities begin with stable, attainable housing. Earlier this week, I was honored to speak at the Starts at Home rally about the importance of increasing housing availability and supporting policies that help families put down roots.
I firmly believe Minnesotans deserve the opportunity to own a home, build stability for their families, and invest in thriving communities. When housing is within reach, it strengthens local economies, supports workforce growth, and helps neighborhoods succeed for generations. Addressing both availability and affordability remains a key priority as we work toward practical solutions that make housing more accessible across our state.
Click on the photo below to watch a highlight from the speech I gave earlier this week.
Realtors Association in Housing Committee
It was a pleasure to have the Minnesota Relators Association join us for the Housing Committee on Tuesday this week. Paul Eger and David Arbit testified before the committee about the state of the housing market, particularly relating to supply and demand. They gave an excellent presentation with an in-depth explanation about mortgage rates and how that is playing into some of the challenges that we are seeing in the housing market. One fact was very clear throughout, that inventory is very low compared to historic averages. The trend seems to be going in the upward direction, but we have a long way to go to get back to a healthy, balanced market. Additionally, monthly payments have skyrocketed, which puts additional strain on buyers as they search for a home and consider what they can afford.
I encourage you to watch their presentation if you are able, because they had great explanations and many graphs which I cannot capture in this newsletter.
Thank you to the Minnesota Realtors Association, especially Paul and David, for coming to share this valuable information with the committee. I am hopeful to make progress towards affordable and attainable housing for Minnesotans this session!
Constituent Meetings
I had a great week of constituent meetings! Although I could not grab a photo with every visitor to share, I want to say thank you for taking the time to visit and set up a meeting with me. I really value the opportunity to hear from constituents here in St. Paul and discuss how I might be able to better serve you. Thank you again for visiting!
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