Minneapolis is creating public policy that will remedy the lack of affordable housing in the city.
It’s been a tough year for the city of Minneapolis.
The city is being plagued by a lack of affordable housing. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem.
Since June 12, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has allowed those without shelter to sit up homeless encampments in the city’s many parks.
COVID-19 is not the only thing to blame for the city’s housing woes.
The cost of housing was already on the rise before the pandemic – and it is set to rival Denver and Seattle.
Housing disparities in the City of Lakes are often based on race. Homeownership among Black people is only one-third the rate of white families.
In an effort to remedy these ill’s, the city adopted a new policy to end single-family zoning in 2019.
As a result, townhomes, duplexes and apartments can now be built in neighborhoods with detached single-family homes.
The end goal is to create more urban density and affordable housing while simultaneously decreasing racial disparities between neighborhoods throughout the city.
The city is also hoping to incentivize developers who build affordable housing with increased developing capacities.
Judging by the city’s parks in the age of COVID, the crisis is unlikely to end anytime soon.