ISAIAH News

Paid Family and Medical Leave, enacted in the 2023 legislative session, is facing pushback in the Minnesota legislature from those who want to delay its start date scheduled for January 2026. Local small business owner, Jessica Peterson White, recently wrote a piece in the Minnesota Star-Tribune in which she spelled out the ways this insurance policy can make life better for employees and employers, and the sooner the better. 

A Manufactured Home Park Residents Bill of Rights, important locally for those who live in Viking Terrace, is being heard in both houses of the legislature. It includes 

• a cap on lot annual rent increases on lot rent at 3% and a limit on late rent payments at 8%, 

• an opportunity to purchase the land as a co-op in the event of a sale, and 

• improved protections and rights such as clear billing for services provided and a choice of methods to pay rents other than digital. 

The Yes to Homes Legislative Agenda which includes bills to address housing challenges in three key ways: 

1) Build more homes – jumpstart production of more homes, especially starter homes, townhouses and apartments, that are often torpedoed by overregulation. 

2) Build homes faster – provide local leaders with the tools needed to streamline project approvals. 

3) Make homes more affordable – eliminate local regulations that drive up prices, such as excessive parking, requiring HOAs and mandating luxury materials. 

Every family, no matter where we live, the color of our skin, or how much money we make, deserves a home we can afford and count on now and tomorrow. With common sense and inclusive zoning reform we can build more housing. Minnesotans can really put down roots, resulting in more connected communities, healthier families, and more stable workforces. We can make sure our housing reflects the Minnesota value of what it means to be a welcoming neighbor. (If you would like more information on any of these initiatives, or to join the ISAIAH-NUMC Team, please contact the church office).