Senate DFL Leader Melisa López Franzen (DFL-Edina) and Senator Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis) were recognized today by a key housing group for their work this year to expand home ownership and to make housing more affordable across the state.
The two lawmakers were recognized Thursday with the “2022 Housing Leadership Award” by Housing First Minnesota for their “commitment to a vibrant housing market” and for promoting “homeownership opportunities for everyone, everywhere.”
“If you don’t have a safe affordable place to live, nothing else in your life works. It makes it harder to find and hold a job, go to school, or raise a family” said Sen. López Franzen. “Virtually every community across Minnesota has a shortage of affordable places to live. As lawmakers, we need to continue our efforts to work together and in partnership with groups like Housing First Minnesota to make housing more affordable, and to ensure Minnesota families have a safe place to live.”
“Far too many families in our state are facing housing instability, and many are just one emergency away from not being able to afford their rent. Without stable housing, families are at risk of falling behind in every aspect of their lives,” said SenatorDziedzic, DFL-lead on the Senate Housing Finance and Policy Committee. “More than half a million Minnesotans struggle to afford their rent, so we have to continue to push – with help from partners like Housing First Minnesota – for the type of housing investments that will increase housing stability.
“As more and more homebuyers face roadblocks to the dream of homeownership, these legislative leaders rose to the occasion to fight for housing affordability. We thank each of them for addressing the difficult issues driving up the cost of housing in Minnesota,” said James Vagle, executive director of Housing First Minnesota.
Housing First Minnesota has a membership of nearly 1,000 homebuilding, remodeling, and associated industry businesses.