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Housing & Economic Development <br />3-C Inclusionary Housing <br />While Metro Cities believes there are cost savings to be achieved through regulatory reform, <br />density bonuses as determined by local communities, and fee waivers, Metro Cities does not <br />believe a mandatory inclusionary housing approach can achieve desired levels of affordability <br />solely through these steps. Several cities have established local inclusionary housing policies, in <br />some cases requiring the creation of affordable units if the housing development uses public <br />financial assistance or connecting the policy to zoning and land use changes. The Metropolitan <br />Council, in distributing the regional allocation of housing need, must recognize both the <br />opportunities and financial limitations of cities. The Council should partner with cities to <br />facilitate the creation of affordable housing through direct financial assistance and/or advocating <br />for additional resources through the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. <br />Metro Cities supports the location of affordable housing in residential and mixed -use <br />neighborhoods throughout a city. Metro Cities supports a city's authority to enact its own <br />inclusionary housing policy. However, Metro Cities does not support passage of a <br />mandatory inclusionary housing state law imposed on local governments that would <br />require a certain percentage of units in all new housing developments to be affordable to <br />households at specific income levels. <br />3-1) Metropolitan Council Role in Housing <br />The Metropolitan Council is statutorily required to assist cities with meeting the provisions of the <br />Land Use Planning Act (LUPA). The LUPA requires cities to adopt sufficient standards, plans <br />and programs to meet their local share of the region's overall projected need for low and <br />moderate -income housing. The Council's responsibilities include the preparation and adoption of <br />guidelines and procedures to assist local government units with accomplishing the requirements <br />of the LUPA. <br />The Metropolitan Council also offers programs and initiatives to create affordable housing <br />opportunities, including the Livable Communities Act programs and operation of a metropolitan <br />housing and redevelopment authority. <br />Unlike parks, transit and wastewater, housing is not a statutory regional system. The <br />Metropolitan Council's role, responsibilities and authority are more limited in scope, centered on <br />assisting local governments by identifying the allocation of need for affordable housing, <br />projecting regional growth and identifying available tools, resources, technical assistance and <br />methods that cities can use to create and promote affordable housing opportunities in their <br />communities. <br />The Metropolitan Council should work in partnership with local governments to ensure that the <br />range of housing needs for people at various life -cycle and incomes can be met. Metro Cities <br />opposes the elevation of housing to "Regional System" status. Metro Cities supports <br />removing the Metropolitan Council's review and comment authority connected to housing <br />revenue bonds under M.S.462C.04. <br />2019 Legislative Policies <br />21 <br />