Community members rally for affordable housing in Twin Cities | FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
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Community members rally for affordable housing in Twin Cities

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Published  March 23, 2025 5:25pm CDT
Housing
FOX 9

West metro leaders looking to tackle housing crisis

Minnesota lawmakers and community leaders are looking to make housing more affordable in the west Twin Cities metro. FOX 9's Babs Santos has the latest.

The Brief

    • On Sunday, a community forum and subsequent protest called for changes to zoning laws in the Twin Cities.
    • Attendees say Minnesota median income is no longer enough money to buy the median-value home.
    • Now, Rep. Larry Kraft is backing three pieces of legislation at the state capitol to help change that.

EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) - People from St. Louis Park, Hopkins and Edina gathered for a meeting with Rep. Larry Kraft (DFL-St. Louis Park) on Sunday. The group wants to address Minnesota’s housing gap.

"One of the main things that I hear while I’m out in my community is I’ve lived here thirty or forty years and I can’t afford [to buy my house today]," Kraft said.

After the meeting, attendees staged a demonstration in the west metro to bring attention to the area’s housing shortage.

"We believe everyone should have a home," Barbara Isham-Schopf said. "There are families and people out there in great need, and we need more affordable housing."

Push for change at the capitol

What they're saying:

Community members would like to see legislation that makes it easier to build apartments, townhomes, duplexes and condos in more parts of town, and at affordable rates, under the market rate.

"There’s too few housing for the population we have," Barbara Isham-Schopf said. "So much of it is market rate, and it’s out of bounds for the normal person with a normal income."

HousingEdinaHopkinsSt. Louis Park