“In this story line, in the name of fighting evictions and displacement, we progressives, we communities of color, we poor people and immigrants, we working-class queers stupidly don’t realize that luxury development now will eventually become the affordable housing of the future! It’s simple supply-and-demand they say, Econ 101, and we obviously didn’t go to college if we don’t understand that simple truth.

They say we foolish activists abuse environmental regulations and planning processes that allow for democratic participation to stop or slow development. So the answer to the problem is to do away with those pesky regulations, limit public input, and give up on any attempt to get real estate developers to mitigate their impacts on our neighborhoods.”

“Stop the Environmental Attack on Minneapolis!” That’s the headline on Smart Growth Minneapolis’ new website. You will want to check it out!

Along with the Star Tribune editorial board, Minneapolis for Everyone supports the goals of Minneapolis 2040 — especially regarding racial and economic disparities, increasing affordable housing and protecting (not merely “tending to”) the environment.   Unlike the editorial board, however, we believe the plan’s strategies lack the focus and specificity necessary to achieve those critical … Continue reading 13 Amendments that would actually help achieve the plan’s goals

“We believe the plan’s strategies lack the focus and specificity necessary to achieve those critical goals. We propose the City Council enhance the plan with the following amendments: http://www.startribune.com/counterpoint-minneapolis-2040-plan-is-a-good-start-but-it-needs-focus/501048341/

“…many who opposed the plan said the overall discussion of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which lists the city’s priorities over the next two decades, had turned neighbors against each other: old vs. young, cyclists vs. drivers, renters vs. homeowners.” http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-neighbors-gather-for-one-more-public-hearing-on-2040-comprehensive-plan/500557201/

Dear Council Members and Mayor Frey, There have been recent reports in the press about investors buying up swaths of housing on the North Side of Mpls for speculative investment. This is nothing new. After the last real estate bubble, Minneapolis and surrounding areas became more visible on speculators’ radar as a great place to … Continue reading Speculative exuberance in the Mpls real estate market: a letter to city officials

Salon debunks Mpls 2040 premise that building more market-rate housing will produce more affordable housing: “In August of this year, an oversaturation of market-rate and luxury rentals in big cities meant that housing costs dropped — for the wealthy. ‘U.S. cities struggling with soaring housing costs have found some success in lowering rents this year, but … Continue reading ‘Salon’ debunks Mpls 2040 premise

Ed Felien writes in Southside Pride: “The blanket upzoning of poor and working class neighborhoods means that neighborhood organizations will no longer have a say in what goes up in their neighborhood. ” Click to read more: What about the 2040 Plan?

There is a lot of myth out there about how if we just build more market rate housing, we will somehow create more affordable  housing.  That we actually reduce housing costs by building more housing of any sort. Looking at history, it is easy to see this is not true. Minneapolis added over 20,000 housing … Continue reading Debunking Neo-Liberal Housing Politics

Ron Feldman and Mark Wright from the Federal Reserve wrote a piece for the StarTribune called “Private market must be a central part of affordable-housing solution.” In this piece, they argue that the private marketplace will provide affordable housing by simply building more housing.  They also argue that existing housing values will decline in value … Continue reading Federal Reserve Wrong