Minnesota Agencies

The Task Force is created to develop solutions to alleviate Minnesota's housing challenge, and connect more Minnesota families with good places to live. The Task Force shall have the following duties:

a. Review existing housing strategies that serve Minnesotans well and identify gaps in the system;
b. Consider new practices that will better serve all Minnesotans and provide greater housing stability;
c. Develop innovative solutions to ensure that families, individuals, and communities have safe and stable housing as the foundation for success;
d. Engage with individuals and organizations to affirm that recommendations align with community experiences, needs, and priorities; and
e. Recommend specific policy proposals and actions that can be taken by the executive and legislative branches of state government, local governments, and the private sector to improve housing stability in the state.

The Task Force shall submit its Final Housing Recommendations report to the Governor, the Legislature, and the public by July 31, 2018.

This Task Force was created by Executive Order on December 20, 2017. In public comments released on December 21, 2017, Governor Dayton said “Too many families across Minnesota struggle to afford quality housing, forcing them to cut back on other essential needs like food, medicine, and education. This task force will develop new solutions to address Minnesota’s housing challenges, and help ensure that more families have access to safe, affordable places to live. I urge Minnesota leaders to join me in carefully reviewing and acting upon their recommendations.”

The nonpartisan Governor's Task Force on Housing will make recommendations by July 31, 2018 that include specific policy proposals and actions that can be taken by the executive and legislative branches of state government and the private sector "to improve housing stability in the state," a news release said.

The Task Force had its first meeting on January 12, 2018. According to their final report (below), much of the Task Force work was accomplished in three work groups that met monthly from January to May 2018. The work groups focused each meeting on specific topics related to their respective work group theme - Rental Housing, Homeownership, and House Stability and Opportunity. The Task Force identified six principles of a resilient housing system which informed the members' evaluation of all input and potential recommendations. The Task Force concluded its work in July 2018 and issued its final report on August 21, 2018. The final report includes key research and findings that drive the task force's goals and recommendations to address Minnesota's housing challenges.

The task force’s work will continue through Prosperity’s Front Door, a program encouraging business, civic, and political leaders to raise awareness on the need for increased affordable housing options in their communities, said Warren Hanson, president and CEO of the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund.

The task force shall consist of 15 members appointed by the Governor with relevant experience in housing, business, finance, development, real estate, education, advocacy or local government.

Core Members of the Task Force:

• Jeanne Crain, Chief Executive Officer, Bremer Financial Corporation (Co-Chair)
• Acooa Ellis, Director of Social Justice Advocacy, Catholic Charities (Co-Chair)
• Jane Barrett, Executive Director, Red Lake Reservation Housing Authority
• Hukun Abdullahi, Executive Director, Afro American Development Association
• Emily Larson, Mayor, City of Duluth
• Sheila Kiscaden, Commissioner, Olmsted County Board
• Mar Valdecantos, Vice Chair, Northfield Human Rights Commission
• Rick Goodeman, Chief Executive Officer, Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership
• Diane Sprague, Director, Lifetime Home Project
• Skip Duschesneau, President, D.W. Jones, Inc.
• Richelle Taylor, Realtor, RE/MAX Metro Realty
• Devean George, President, George Group North
• Lael Robertson, Staff Attorney, Housing Justice Center
• Mike Paradise, President, Bigelow Homes
• MayKao Hang, President, Wilder Foundation

Ex-Officio Members of the Task Force:

• Brad Hewitt, Chief Executive Officer, Thrivent Financial, representing the Itasca Project
• Mary Rippe, President, Minnesota Multi Housing Association, representing the Minnesota Multi Housing Association
• Deidre Schmidt, President, CommonBond Communities, representing the Minnesota Housing Partnership
• Terri Thao, Program Director, Nexus Community Partners, representing the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
• Paul Williams, President, Project for Pride in Living, representing the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers
• Neal Loidolt, President, Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, representing the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans
• Harry Melander, President, Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council, Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Council, representing the  Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council
• Matt Kramer, Vice President for University and Government Relations, University of Minnesota, representing the University of Minnesota
• Mike Maguire, Mayor, City of Eagan, representing the Urban Land Institute Regional Council of Mayors
• Senator Rich Draheim
• Senator Nick Frentz
• Representative Bob Gunther
• Representative Alice Hausman