The MN Legislative Session only happens for a short period during the year. The time is NOW to tell your legislator that we need more homes, and we need to keep our current neighbors in the ones we have. 🧵

Now is the time.... Tell your MN legislators that you support this bill, which will encourage more 'missing middle' homes (ADUs, townhomes, duplex/triplex, etc.) across Minnesota. Let's say 'yes' to homes this year <3

Neighbors for More Neighbors (N4MN)@moreneighbors.org · 6mo ago

Tell your lawmaker to support the Starter Home Act! This Act is a practical solution that works to solve our almost 100,000 home shortage. Learn more and take action here. actionnetwork.org/letters/star...

Congrats to Rep. @katiejonesmpls.bsky.social and family, who biked to the hospital last week and came back with baby Hans. Here's what she told me about the ride:

If my followers have been inspired by the fierce resistance the Twin Cities has put up to ICE, you should make it a point to take a trip here (April through October 😬), enjoy the wonderful things MN has to offer and support our small businesses. It continues to be a really tough time for them.

Ahem.

Why wait for the 2050 plan? Let's make it legal to build like these Sheridan neighborhood beauties again! Today they are not allowed - not enough "front yard". This would be a minor tweak to city code... What d'ya say @minneapolismn.gov and @ward3.minneapolismn.gov ? :)

Evan Roberts@evanrobertsnz.bsky.social · last yr.

These cookie cutter (complimentary) duplexes on 13th Ave NE in Minneapolis are gorgeous with their short setbacks, well planted gardens, and two levels of porches. But not a design you can replicate now (setbacks)

Seems like a super creative way to build on a single lot with a slight hill. How many Minneapolis policies would we need to edit to allow this in Minneapolis @evanrobertsnz.bsky.social and @britvulcan.net

Joe Cohen@cohenhouse.bsky.social · last yr.

A developer has proposed a 10-unit SB 684/1123 project in East Hollywood. - All two-bedroom small lot homes (one unit is affordable) - No parking - Lot is on a hill, so you need to climb stairs to get to rear units I'm incredibly curious what these will sell for.

How Driving Less Benefits Us: https://streets.mn/2025/07/29/how-driving-less-benefits-us/ Driving less provides personal benefits and societal ones. Less rushing means a more involved day-to-day.

@minneapolismn.gov whennn can we have this?!?! Please don't make us wait for the 2050 plan. This is a zero-cost-to-city change that will encourage more affordable homes. A no brainer! Cc @moreneighbors.org

Streets.mn@streets.mn · last yr.

"Based on both the existing conditions in St. Paul and the previous results of a comparable change in Houston, it seems likely that this lot size reduction could be at least as impactful as the legalization of multiple units per lot in single-family areas..."

"Given the line’s nearly $3 billion price tag and the rarity of an undeveloped, city-owned parcel surrounding a new light-rail station, you’d think there would be more public discussion about the future of Linden Yards."

Roper: New Minneapolis light rail route threads through strange concrete wasteland

The city got a raw deal on the location of Southwest’s stations, but should make the most of them.

startribune.com

Evie saves my fiancé and I tons of money providing access to a car for the rare occasions we need one while avoiding the massive expenses of car ownership. If you're thinking about getting a car, consider getting an Evie membership instead if you don't drive every day.

Will Jones@willpjones.bsky.social · last yr.

Did you know the Twin Cities has the largest municipality-owned and nonprofit-operated electric carshare fleet in the country? Evie is now threatened federal funding cuts, but can survive with more users. It saves my family $10k/year by not purchasing a 2nd car. Check it out: eviecarshare.com

Did you know the Twin Cities has the largest municipality-owned and nonprofit-operated electric carshare fleet in the country? Evie is now threatened federal funding cuts, but can survive with more users. It saves my family $10k/year by not purchasing a 2nd car. Check it out: eviecarshare.com

Meet Evie - Evie Carshare

Meet Evie: All Electric Carshare for the Twin Cities. One-way trips by the minute, hour or day. All-Electric Carshare for the Twin Cities

eviecarshare.com

This is such a small thing that adds to urban/pedestrian quality of life. Can we tweak the code @minneapolismn.gov ?

Evan Roberts@evanrobertsnz.bsky.social · last yr.

It's literally the city of Minneapolis' policy to discourage awnings attached to buildings, so thank them for the lack of shade at outdoor dining places ... but this is a recent policy. I recently discovered that in the 1970s the zoning code encouraged awnings. Now curious why this changed ...

This is a fascinating way to look at the issue. I wonder what these numbers are for Minneapolis/st Paul? And what they are today?

Stan Oklobdzija@stano.bsky.social · last yr.

Finally getting around to this great article on Los Angeles' homelessness crisis and it's incredible how impactful Greg Morrow's dissertation has been. Los Angeles' zoning code once allowed for 10 million people to find a home here and segregationsts reduced that number to 4 million in the 1970s.

Perfect spot for lower-climate-impact Excelsior homes: walk to shops, restaurants AND grocery store. Arbitrary rules (council here wants 2 story blding vs 3?) are blocking homes of all price points in every suburb. This is what @moreneighbors.org works on for our climate, among other reasons...

Building height fight brews in this historic downtown

Excelsior officials are still debating the approval of a three-story, mixed-use building that’s too tall for the historic area’s regulations. Several other projects have failed to materialize at the p...

startribune.com

Conscientious SUV Shopper Just Wants Something That Will Kill Family In Other Car In Case Of Accident theonion.com/conscie...

It's so awesome (truly) that I recognize almost nobody in this picture. It means we were able to build an organization that can sustain itself beyond the initial energy of the first few members.

Vince Mpls@vincempls.bsky.social · last yr.

The committed volunteers and staff of Neighbors for @moreneighbors.org!

Evan *knows* what he is talking about. Legislators, pay attention for the 2025-2026 session and help us build more affordable, family-sized homes, please! cc #mnleg #yestohomes @moreneighbors.org

Evan Roberts@evanrobertsnz.bsky.social · last yr.

Our (American, not just MN) channeling of housing into 2.5 basic types-- single family homes, small apartments, townhouses--makes this issue more acute than it needs to be. SFHs and townhouses are (stairs!) less likely to be mobility friendly than new construction multi family.

This afternoon, every Republican and every Democrat in the North Carolina House of Representatives voted to end costly bureaucratic parking mandates & give property owners full flexibility over how to handle parking. What a stunning bipartisan awakening there has been on parking in 2025.

A few days ago, one of the most right-wing governors in the US signed a bipartisan law massively expanding where apartments can be built in Texas. Today, a socialist who promises 200k new homes & an end to parking mandates became the presumptive mayor of NYC. Housing abundance runs the gamut.

"We all do better when we all do better." When everyone is too concentrated on their tiny corner, we lose track of the full community needs. Also wish the state could provide some incentive for smaller municipalities to combine with their big neighbors. (Looking at you Lauderdale and Hilltop!)

Roper: We’ve got a surplus of cities. The metro’s toughest problems require a regional approach.

Loads of local governments in the Twin Cities have created a patchwork of priorities and regulations.

startribune.com

My story and feelings are very similar to this author. More people should have the option of (and ability to afford) a walkable neighborhood, and it's why I got into my work with @moreneighbors.org

Emily Hamilton@ebwhamilton.bsky.social · last yr.

My new column at Governing is on my family's choice to take the convenience of an urban neighborhood over a larger home and yard. Not everyone wants to raise kids in this environment, but more families should be able to make this choice if they want to: www.governing.com/urban/high-d...

We have got to fix our floor area ratio problem -- we need to be building more "missing middle" homes, more 2 bedroom homes, more 3 bedroom homes. The devil is in the details, and we didn't get these right in Minneapolis.

Michael Andersen@andersem.bsky.social · last yr.

@zyudhishthu.bsky.social, @christianb.bsky.social & others have shown how Minneapolis legalized triplexes but only built ~35 in its first 3 years. Portland built 8x faster. Why? Size. Minneapolis said triplex homes on a standard lot could average no more than 833sqft.

I have three misc. thoughts about what happened today: 1. There seems to be absolutely no consideration within the law enforcement profession about the extent to which a militarized appearance and demeanor has disastrous consequences for public trust. For some agencies it's clearly intentional.

MN statewide housing and zoning reforms have been successfully blocked for two years in a row because the league of cities has fought to preserve local control. The local control:

Wedge LIVE!™@wedge.live · last yr.

Blaine City Council hits pause once they realize their zoning code might allow even a single homeless family to be housed. www.startribune.com/blaine-homel...

If you care about our homelessness crisis, or about rising costs/housing shortage in the Twin Cities -- this article is a gut punch, and terribly sad. Another reason the state legislature needs to act instead of hoping cities will do the right thing....

Minnesota Star Tribune@startribune.com · last yr.

Blaine allowed accessory dwelling units. But when a resident asked to build one for a homeless family, the City Council hit pause on the idea.

"Despite long-term population loss, Minneapolis still needs to build more housing. That’s the only way to accommodate a higher number of households. And not only does the city need to build more housing, it needs to build more types of housing to accommodate different kinds of households."

Minneapolis Has More Households Than Ever Before

Minneapolis’ population is increasing, but its housing needs are increasing even faster. Why? More individual households need more individual spaces.

streets.mn

Colorado governor’s new executive order will condition municipalities’ receipt of $100 million in state grants on those cities’ compliance with state housing laws, including: —Allowing ADUs —Eliminating parking requirements near transit —Denser zoning districts near transit

Gov. Polis will shut off millions in state grants to cities and counties that don’t comply with state housing policies

The governor issued an executive order Friday requiring local governments to show they’re enacting policies to encourage more housing in order to qualify for transportation and energy funds.

cpr.org

Dislike the "yimby" framing, but the story itself is why @moreneighbors.org organizes for statewide policy change in MN If every community in the state continues saying "no" (esp to modest 3 story multifamily developments), our housing shortage starts looking more like CA's in the nearer future

MPR News@mprnews.org · last yr.

A controversial housing project in Duluth is pitting NIMBYs or "Not In My Backyard" opponents against yes-leaning YIMBYs who advocate for new housing. The Duluth City Council votes Monday on the housing development.

Has anyone ever thought of selling bikes that have what's needed to ride in normal conditions like in the rain, in the dark, with your stuff