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League urges partnership model as state housing plan, MIHP2 and detached ADU proposals take shape
Summary
League staff briefed members on the state housing plan’s narrowing of tactics and presented MIHP2 and detached-ADU proposals that would give credit to cities for concrete zoning and planning actions and require larger cities to adopt detached-ADU ordinances while preserving local implementation details.
League staff presented a progress update on the state housing plan and a proposed evolution of the Modernizing the State Housing Plan framework (MIHP2) that would tie state infrastructure funding to concrete local land-use actions. Cam, speaking for League staff, said the state plan narrowed roughly 160 potential tactics to about 40 and that the League submitted its top priorities, including funding a state infrastructure bank, technical assistance for growing communities and use of publicly owned land for affordable homeownership.
The key policy shift discussed was moving from aspirational planning to crediting cities for specific, enforceable zoning and regulatory actions. "What is in our control is have you done the plan? Have you put the zoning in place? Whether or not the private sector's building right now is outside of our control," Cam said, arguing for scoring that rewards demonstrated local actions. The League presented three MIHP2 categories: centers (including HTRZs and station-area plans), housing variety (density bonuses, overlays, multiplex types) and project-approval credit for approved subsidized projects.
A central MIHP2 design question is how to balance requirements by city size. League materials propose a sliding scale so larger cities are expected to achieve more points than smaller ones, while every MIHP community would still need to take some action. Cam said advisory-group feedback showed support for pairing scoring with partnership funding: "One is extra credit for state dollars. The other is eligibility for new state dollars."
The meeting also considered a state policy on detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The League circulated draft language that would require MIHP cities (cities above a population threshold, as currently defined) to adopt a detached-ADU ordinance while leaving implementation specifics to local governments and requiring ordinances to consider infrastructure capacity and owner-occupancy rules. Cam described the draft as a compromise: "The city shall have the ordinance... but the actual implementation details would be left to local governments." The draft includes a provision that cities consider infrastructure capacity and sets a baseline requirement (for example, allowing detached ADUs on lots larger than 10,000 square feet, subject to local constraints).
Members raised concerns and refinements. Dwayne asked what "subject to infrastructure capacity" means in practice; Cam said: "There was no easy way to define that. It's not one-size-fits-all to define that in statute," and argued for local discretion to assess sufficiency. Norm and other members emphasized that cities should receive credit under MIHP2 for prior actions and asked that MIHP2 not erase progress made under the current MIHP. The League said those concerns are part of follow-up drafting and that a one-week feedback window would be provided before the League board meets on Sept. 30.
Next steps: League staff will circulate the MIHP2 and detached-ADU draft language and solicit member feedback, aggregate responses for the board on Sept. 30, and coordinate further meetings with state housing-plan staff and legislators. A public draft of the state housing plan is expected this fall for comment, with a final draft later this calendar year.
