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Cities and advocates clash over proposed limits on concentrations of group homes; bill laid over for more work
Summary
A bill to reduce proximity and require local notification for new congregate care licenses drew competing testimony: northwest metro cities urged tools to limit concentration and public‑safety strain, while disability advocates and providers warned the measure risks segregation and could restrict choice; HF4144 was laid over for further stakeholder work.
Representative Do presented House File 4144, a proposal aimed at addressing concentrations of congregate care and small assisted‑living homes in parts of northwest Hennepin County and similar communities.
The bill’s core elements include statewide application of a minimum distance between newly licensed residential care facilities (proposed in committee testimony as 650 feet), a requirement that the commissioner notify local jurisdictions when a new license is issued, permissive delegation of inspection authority to local units of government, and changes to improve communication on abuse reports. Representative Do said the bill is intended to prevent clustering that strains local public‑safety resources and to support integration and safe, high‑quality care.
City officials from Champlin and Brooklyn Park described rapid increases in calls for service to congregate care facilities and said some neighborhoods are experiencing concentrated placement that they view as unsustainable. Champlin’s testimony included a local call‑for‑service statistic: calls to congregate care facilities rose from 397 in 2020 to 879 in 2025 (a 121.4% increase), which city officials said imposes disproportionate strain on small municipal public‑safety staffs.
Brooklyn Park councilmember Nicole Klonowski and others testified about concerns over ownership patterns and quality of care; Klonowski said less than 3% of congregate care homes in her city are nonprofit, and she framed the concentration as driven by private, profit‑driven business models rather than person‑centered choice.
Providers and the Residential Providers Association cautioned that spacing limits and proximity rules can create barriers to housing and risk running afoul of the Fair Housing Act; they urged solutions that address root causes—affordability, provider contracting, and local capacity—rather than zoning‑style restrictions that could reduce options for people with disabilities.
Several speakers urged further stakeholder work; Representative Do said laying the bill over would allow more negotiation. The committee laid HF4144 over for possible inclusion and adjourned.
