House repasses conference report on housing bill, allocates $15 million across statewide programs

The Minnesota House on Sunday adopted the conference committee report on Senate File 2298 and repassed the bill as amended by the conference committee; the roll call showed 108 ayes and 26 nays.

Members said the measure redistributes a reduced $15 million budget target across several statewide housing programs and adds policy changes aimed at transparency and encouraging local land-use reform.

The conference report, explained by Representative Igoe, the bill’s House co-chair, includes increases and line items that members described as a bipartisan attempt to address affordability and housing stability. “We have a good conference committee report in front of us, with the budget targets that were reached,” Representative Igoe said. He told colleagues the conference reduced an earlier $75,000,000 target to $15,000,000 and that the conferees spread that money across multiple programs.

Key allocations detailed on the floor included: $2,000,000 added to the statewide Challenge Program; $2,000,000 to workforce homeownership; $2,000,000 for Greater Minnesota infrastructure grants; $2,000,000 for community-based first-time…