HF 2018 Minnesota House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Multifamily and mixed-use development municipal zoning authority limited.

HF 2018 requires Minnesota municipalities to permit multifamily residential developments (buildings with 13+ units or mixed-use buildings with ≥50% residential space) in zoning districts that allow commercial uses, effective until December 31, 2029. It limits local governments' ability to block such projects through comprehensive plan amendments or zoning changes, mandating approval under defined conditions. Municipalities must still enforce standards for public health, safety, infrastructure, and existing environmental protections (e.g., floodplains). The bill directly affects local zoning decisions, developers seeking to build apartment complexes, and residents in communities with commercial zoning. It does not override state/federal prohibitions or require affordable housing in all projects.

Issues: ✓ Housing

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 10, 2025 Last action Apr 7, 2025

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What changed between versions

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 5 edits · Mar 17, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was updated from its introduction to its first engrossment version, reflecting significant policy changes to limit municipal zoning authority over multifamily and mixed-use developments. The primary updates include renaming the density bonus provision to explicitly cover both affordable and workforce housing, renumbering sections to accommodate new content, and removing specific exemptions for affordable housing regarding mixed-use requirements. Additionally, the bill now includes a new exemption for affordable housing developments from certain construction material and method mandates.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly include workforce housing alongside affordable housing for density bonuses and to clarify that affordable housing developments are exempt from specific mixed-use and construction requirement mandates.

ELIGIBILITY

The density bonus provision was renamed and updated to explicitly include 'workforce housing' in addition to affordable housing, broadening the range of projects eligible for zoning incentives.

REQUIREMENT

A specific exemption allowing affordable housing developments to bypass mixed-use requirements for replacing commercial or industrial structures was removed, meaning such developments must now comply with those local controls unless other exemptions apply.

A separate provision exempting affordable housing from restrictive construction material, method, or architectural standards was removed, consolidating this exemption into a new, broader clause that applies to all affordable and workforce housing.

The list of prohibited municipal requirements was renumbered and consolidated, merging the parking mandate exemption and the construction standard exemption into a single, streamlined paragraph.

TECHNICAL

Section numbers were reorganized and renumbered throughout the document to accommodate the insertion of new content and the removal of previous sections.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

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Key actions

Committee

Mar 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to Elections Finance and Government Operations

lower

Mar 10, 2025

Introduced

Introduction and first reading, referred to Housing Finance and Policy

lower

1 primary · 12 co-sponsors