In March, nearly 100 Housing First Minnesota and Central Minnesota Builders Association members gathered in St. Paul to discuss the housing market, legislative session and obstacles the industry faces before discussing these issues with their legislators.

The annual Housing Day at the Capitol event kicked off with a program featuring remarks from Housing First Minnesota and the Central Minnesota Builders Association leadership emphasizing the impact of the day and what it means for the industry.

“This is shaping up to be a pivotal and impactful year at the Legislature, making it more crucial than ever for us to stand united as an industry,” said Tim Fohr, 2025 board chair of Housing First Minnesota.

A panel discussion featured a bipartisan slate of legislators who spoke about bills currently in play and housing priorities on the hill. The discussion, moderated by Housing First Minnesota CEO James Vagle, covered topics ranging from zoning modernization to labor issues. The panel included Rep. Larry Kraft (DFL-St. Louis Park), Sen. Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) and Sen. Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville).

Housing Day comes at a timely moment in the legislature. In March, a package of bills focused on solving Minnesota’s housing shortage was introduced by legislators on both sides of the aisle, supported by a broad coalition of organizations.

Additional legislators addressed the group, showcasing the breadth of support and the bipartisan nature of housing issues. Speakers included Sen. Eric Lucero (R-Saint Michael) and Rep. Michael Howard (DFL-Richfield).

Kristen Crossman of Housing First Minnesota provided a market update that gave attendees insights into key indicators like mortgage rates, homebuilding activity and home prices.

Mark Foster, vice president of legislative and political affairs at Housing First Minnesota, then walked through the slate of housing and industry-related legislation. Foster shared policies and bills focused on improving housing affordability and attainability, but also discussed the many bills in the mix that would harm housing and increase the cost of housing construction and homeownership.