Committee hears several housing bills including Rondo CLT pilot, HRA trust fund change, The Heights bond request and stabilization task‑force measure; most laid

The Minnesota House Housing Finance and Policy Committee took up a broad set of housing bills in a session that included testimony from nonprofit developers, county and city housing agency leaders, community land trusts, and housing‑provider representatives. Most bills were laid over for further work or referral to Ways and Means; one bill was re‑referred to Ways and Means by voice vote.

Rondo Community Land Trust pilot (House File 02‑1959) Representative Ibrahim Hussain introduced House File 02‑1959 to create a home‑buyer initiative pilot that would support the Rondo Community Land Trust’s work expanding into Ramsey and Dakota counties. Nikia (Nikia/Nikia spelled as in transcript) Griffin, executive director of Rondo Community Land Trust and chair of the Minnesota Community Land Trust Coalition, testified that the land‑trust model creates permanent affordability with a one‑time public investment and that the organization has a pipeline of mortgage‑ready buyers. Griffin said last year the CLT educated over 600 families and had nearly 100 mortgage‑ready buyers in its pipeline. The committee laid the bill over.

Housing and Redevelopment Authorities and local housing trust funds (House File 15‑48) Representative Vice Chair Kozlowski presented House File 15‑48 to allow Housing and Redevelopment Authorities (HRAs) to be named as local governments that may establish local housing trust funds. Melissa Taphorn, executive director of the Washington County Community Development Agency and legislative…