Senate committee advances housing omnibus with technical fixes, schedules full markup

St. Paul — The Minnesota Senate Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention on Monday adopted two amendments to its housing omnibus, Senate File 2298, and laid the bill on the table for full discussion and a markup scheduled for Thursday, April 3.

The measure, described to the committee as a package of policy provisions and budget changes for Minnesota Housing programs, was presented with an A2 author’s amendment (a DE to conform bill form) and an A4 technical amendment that adjusts transfer and appropriation language so appropriations to Minnesota Housing are from the general fund and conform with budget rules. Both amendments were adopted by voice vote.

Committee fiscal staff walked members through a spreadsheet that showed how the bill meets the committee’s general fund target. "This committee received a general fund target of 3,000,000 for fiscal years '25 through '27 and 1,000,000 in the tails biennium of fiscal years '28–'29," said Mr. Olofsson, the committee fiscal analyst, describing the changes that produce a net $3 million target for 2025–27 and $1 million for 2028–29.

The fiscal presentation credited a mix of new one-time and base changes across programs. Notable line items Mr. Olofsson described include: - $10,150,000 one-time from the general fund in FY2026 for the Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP). - $2,000,000 one-time in FY2026 and $500,000 ongoing beginning FY2028 for the Greater Minnesota Housing Infrastructure Grants Program. - $2,000,000 one-time in FY2026 and $450,000 ongoing beginning FY2028 for the community-based first-generation homebuyer down payment assistance program…