>> Mary: THAT SECURITY BILL THERE IN THE SENATE GOT BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

ANOTHER ISSUE THAT IS SEEING BIPARTISAN SUPPORT ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE HOUSE WITH THE COCHAIR MODEL IS HOUSING, THAT'S WHO WE HAVE TONIGHT.

REPUBLICAN SPENCER IGO AND REPRESENTATIVE MIKE HOWARD.

SO, Mr.

CHAIR, LAST NIGHT, HOUSING GOT A SHOUT-OUT IN THE GOVERNOR'S STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS.

THAT MEANS SOMETHING, RIGHT?

THAT MEANS HE ISSUE IS KIND OF RISING TO THE TOP?

>> ABSOLUTELY, I MEAN, HOUSING'S A TOP THREE ISSUE FOR EVERY SINGLE MINNESOTAN AND THE WORK THAT MY COCHAIR AND I HAVE BEEN DOING IS REALLY TRYING TO ELEVATE HAT AND GET THE FIXES DONE THAT ARE NECESSARY TO UNLOCK HOUSING IN THE STATE.

WE'RE 100,000 UNITS SHORT.

>> WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THAT LINE?

YOU USED TO HELP COMMUNICATORS HERE IN THE LEGISLATURE.

>> WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED THE SHOUT-OUT TO THE $1 BILLION INVESTMENT WE MADE IN 2023 THAT'S MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO HELP FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS TO HELP STABILIZE AND BUILD THE KIND OF HOMES WE NEED.

IT'S ONE ELEMENT OF THE SOLUTION WHICH IS BUILD MORE HOMES AND UNLOCK MORE HOME PRODUCTION.

THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO HELP US MAKE HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE HEAR ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE LIVING IN A DISTRICT UP NORTH, NORTHERN MY.

IF OR IN A DISTRICT IN THE SUBURBS HERE, BLUE OR RED.

>> SO TODAY THERE WAS AN EVENT AND I THINK YOU WERE PART OF THIS, TALKING ABOUT $42 MILLION THAT WAS INVESTED AND WANTING TO CONTINUE THAT.

TELL US ABOUT THAT AND WHAT WAS BEHIND IT.

>> WE'RE WANTING TO INVEST AND THERE'S MULTIPLE THINGS WE'RE DOING IN HOUSING, THE STATEWIDE HOUSING TAX CREDIT WHICH I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO WHICH IS A BILL I'M LEADING ON IN THE TAX COMMITTEE, LAID OVER, HOPING TO SEE IT PASSED.

WHAT WE'RE SEEING THIS TAX CREDIT HAS EVOLVED IN A WAY WHERE THE PORTAL OPENS FOR PEOPLE TO SUBMIT THEIR TAX CREDIT AND IT FILLS UP IN TWO HOURS.

AND IT'S PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WHERE WE'RE SEEING BUSINESSES COMBINE WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS TO BUILD OUT HOUSING THEY NEED, WHETHER IT BE WORKFORCE OR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

>> THAT BILL WAS BIPARTISAN, DID YOU SUPPORT THAT >> I WAS THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR WITH THE STATE HOUSING TAX CREDIT AND WE PASSED THAT WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN 2020.

AND IT'S A INCREDIBLE TOOL FOR BUSINESSES OR MINNESOTANS TO SAY I WANT TO RAISE MY HAND AND CONTRIBUTE TO HOUSING IN MY COMMUNITY AND PUT SOME OF MY SKIN IN THE GAME AND RECEIVE THIS TAX CREDIT.

THE MORE RESOURCES WE PUT INTO THIS THE MORE HOUSING WE CAN BUILD AND IT'S A TOOL THAT'S HELPING COMMUNITIES ALL ACROSS THE STATE.

>> SO WHAT ARE ODDS FOR ANYTHING HAPPENING?

BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE DYNAMIC, YOU SERVE IN OTHER COMMITTEES.

TIE VOTE, TIE VOTE, IN COMMITTEE, ON THE FLOOR.

TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE HOUSING MEASURES, ARE THEY GOING TO GET THROUGH?

STANDAREN'T, ARE THEY GOING TO GET BUNDLED INTO BIGGER BILLS?

WHAT'S IT LOOKING LIKE?

>> YEAH, I'LL START WITH THE BILL WE HAVE PROBABLY ON MONDAY NOW, MY COCHAIR AND I PUT TOGETHER A BIPARTISAN SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET BILL THAT'S ACTUALLY BUDGET NEUTRAL SO DOESN'T AFFECT THE GENERAL FUND AT ALL BUT IT'S GOING TO INFLUX ABOUT $163.2 MILLION INTO STATE HOUSING.

WORKFORCE HOUSING ALONG WITH HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE BONDS THAT BUILD ALL SORTS OF HOUSING AROUND THE STATE.

SO WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT BILL DONE AND NEGOTIATE IT VERY QUICKLY.

I THINK WE WERE FIRST TO THE FLOOR LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, AND IF THAT DOESN'T SAY SOMETHING ABOUT HOUSING I DON'T KNOW WHAT DOES.

>> YOUR FRIENDS IN THE SENATE WILLING TO PASS TOO?

IS IS >> WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT MANY TIE VOTES IN OUR HOUSING COMMITTEE, I THINK THERE'S SHARED ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF OUR CHALLENGES WHICH IS TO ADDRESS THIS HOUSING SHORTAGE AND THAT'S WHAT THE BILL WE'RE HOPEFUL TO PASS WILL DO O HELP US INVEST IN WAYS O BUILD NEW HOMES AND TO INCLUDE MEASURES TO MAKE SURE THAT PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT WISELY AND RETURNED BACK TO PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR MINNESOTANS.

AND WE THINK THERE'S AGREEMENT WITH THE SENATE THAT WE CAN MOVE ON THIS AND ACTUALLY GET THINGS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.

>> Mary: THE ISSUE THAT GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION AND WHEN I SAID, OH, WE GOTTA HAVE THESE GUYS ON THE SHOW IS THIS PRESS RELEASE, WHEN THE CITY OF LAKEVILLE, BOOMING SUBURB SAID WE'RE STOPPING ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION, MORATORIUM, AND THE TWO OF YOU ISSUED A STATEMENT TOGETHER.

LAKEVILLE IS REPRESENTED BY REPUBLICANS, HOW DO YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES FEEL ABOUT YOU OPPOSING THAT MOVE?

>> WELL IT WAS AN INTERESTING THING THAT HAPPENS, HAVING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE MEMBERS FROM LAKEVILLE BUT ALSO WITH THE MAYOR.

I WAS ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYOR AND IF YOU WATCH HIS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HE TALKED ABOUT HIS CONVERSATION AND HOW WE'RE COLLABORATING ON THE BILL.

OUR PRESS RELEASE, OF COURSE WE'RE DISAPPOINTED, WE'RE IN A HOUSING CRISIS AND NEED TO BUILD MORE HOMES.

LET'S BUILD ON THIS STEP TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER TO PASS REAL REFORMS THAT CUT RED TAPE AND MANDATES SO WE CAN BUILD MORE DIVERSE HOUSING AND BRING AFFORDABILITY BACK TO THE STATE.

>> Mary: IT GOT ATTENTION.

IS THAT SOMEHOW A GOOD THING >> WELL, UM, IT'S A REALLY BAD THING WHAT LAKEVILLE'S DONE AND A SIGN OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING FAR TOO OFTEN WITH CITIES WHICH ARE PUTTING ROAD BLOCKS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL TO BLOCK MINNESOTANS TO EXERT THEIR FREEDOM IT FIND A HOME.

WHEN WE HAVE 100,000 UNIT SHORTAGE IN ONE OF OUR FASTEST GROWING AREAS IS SAYING BASICALLY PUTTING A "KEEP OUT" SIGN IT'S A HUGE ISSUE FOR ECONOMIC TRENGTH IN THE LONG-TERM AND IT'S A HUGE ISSUE FOR THE AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING.

AND SO THAT'S WHY I THINK YOU SEE WHETHER YOU HAVE A D OR R BY THE SIDE OF YOUR NAME A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE A LOT OF DEEP CONCERN ABOUT NOT JUST THIS MOVE Y LAKEVILLE BUT ALL OF THE WAYS THAT CITIES ARE CONTINUING TO FIGHT FOR A BROKEN STATUS QUO AND PUTTING THE BRAKES WHEN WE NEED TO BE STEPPING ON THE GAS TO BUILD MORE HOMES.

>> Mary: AND I'M SURE THE CONNECTION FOR AKEVILLE AND THE ISSUE OF HOUSING IN GENERAL IS ITS CONNECTION TO BROADER ISSUES, WORKFORCE, ECONOMY.

HOW MUCH IS THIS REVERBERATING THAT WE'RE STILL IN A SHORTAGE?

>> YOU KNOW, IT ALL KIND OF GOES BACK TO 2008, RIGHT?

WE LOST SO MANY BUILDERS WE NEVER RECOVERED FROM.

WE HAD COVID IN THERE, OTHER FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE, WE NEVER REALLY REINVIGORATED WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO INTO THE HOUSING MARKET AND NOW WE'RE REALLY STRUGGLING AS WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND MINNESOTA'S ECONOMY, PROVIDE MORE JOBS AND STABILITY IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE GOT TO GET RID OF RED TAPE ND A LOT OF THESE LAND USE AND ZONING POLICIES ARE DOING THAT.

I ALWAYS SAY WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS HAVE IVERSE HOUSING OPTIONS WHEN WE GET SUPPLY BACK UP WE'RE GOING TO RETURN AFFORDABILITY AND STABILITY FOR THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

>> AND CONSTRUCTION HAS SLOWED DOWN SINCE OPERATION METRO SURGE.

>> WE'VE SEEN ALL KINDS OF INPUTS INTO OUR HOUSING SYSTEM THAT HAVE SLOWED DOWN THAT IS AN ISSUE WITH OUR WORKFORCE.

AND WHEN YOU HAVE HIGHER INTEREST RATES, ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE SORT OF OUTSIDE YOUR CONTROL THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO REDUCE FRICTION, REDUCE BARRIERS, THAT'S WHEN OUR STARTER HOME ACT IS ALL ABOUT.

SOMETHING THAT SPENCER AND I HAVE WORKED ON NOW FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.

UNLESS WE FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BUILD THE KINDS OF HOMES MINNESOTANS WANTS WE'RE NOT GOING TO EVER MEET OUR MOMENT.

PUBLIC INVESTMENT ALONE, LOOK, I'M A DEMOCRAT, I BELIEVE WE NEED TO BE MAKING PUBLIC INVESTMENTS.

I'LL SAY PUBLIC INVESTMENT ALONE ISN'T GOING TO GET THE JOB DONE, WE NEED TO UNLOCK THE PRIVATE MARKET AS WELL >> Mary: IT'S UNBELIEVABLE HOW GEOGRAPHY HAS DIVIDED SO MANY STATES, THE WHOLE COUNTRY, POLITICS, THIS IS A STATEWIDE ISSUE AND THE TWO OF YOU ARE SEEING EYE TO EYE AND YOU'RE FROM VERY DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE.

HOW IS THIS THAT BRINGS YOU TOGETHER?

>> I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS, BEING A YOUNGER LEGISLATOR, HOUSING IS THE ISSUE THAT I GET A RANDOM TEXT MESSAGE FROM A FRIEND SAYS SAYS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT HOUSING?

FOR ME I HEAR ABOUT FROM FOLKS LIVING IN THE METRO I'M FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES WITH OR FOLKS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

MIKE AND I REALLY LEANED INTO LEARNING EACH OTHER'S DISTRICTS.

CAME UP TO HIBBING AND LEARNED ABOUT THE CITY.

AND ALSO THE ISSUES OF MY DISTRICT, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FORM THAT RELATIONSHIP, LEARN BECOME WHAT'S GOING ON IN HIS DISTRICT JUST LIKE MINE AND REALIZE OUR JOBS ARE TO OUR DISTRICTS BUT WHEN WE BECAME CHAIRS IT'S ALSO TO MINNESOTA TO FIND THE SOLUTION.

>> SUBURBAN ISSUE AS WELL.

>> YEAH, I THINK TO YOUR QUESTION HOW WE'VE TREATED THIS ISSUE, IT'S A BIPARTISAN ISSUE IS REFLECTIVE OF HOW MINNESOTANS FEEL, WHEN FOLKS ARE TRYING TO AFFORD THEIR RENT OR CAN'T FIND A HOME, THOSE ISSUES ARE PLAYING OUT ACROSS KITCHEN TABLES ON THE IRON RANGE IN, SUBURBAN AREAS, IN RICHFIELD, IN THE METRO AREA.

MINNESOTANS DON'T SEE THE HOUSING CHALLENGES AS A PARTISAN ISSUE AND NEITHER SHOULD WE.

>> I THINK MINNESOTANS WILL APPRECIATE