A Critical Need
Unaffordable and undermaintained
The need for safe and affordable housing is evident across Minnesota and in our region. Housing is considered affordable if it consumes 30% or less of a household’s gross income. When households spend more than 30% of their income to meet housing costs, they do not have enough remaining to meet other basic needs or to weather financial setbacks. Families are also impacted by rental units that have not been maintained, compromising residents’ health.
Minnesota Housing Partnership’s (MHP) latest “State of the State’s Housing” report (2024) shows that half of Minnesota renters pay more than they can afford for housing—and that number is growing. The gap between the costs of housing and the salaries of in-demand jobs continues to widen. MHP’s 2021 St. Louis County report, which looked at 85,807 households, found that rents in St. Louis County have risen 25% with family incomes rising only 8%, making it increasingly challenging for renters to make ends meet. Family incomes are also not rising at the same pace as home values, which are up 43%, making it more difficult for families to purchase and own a home.
Nobody should have to choose between a home and essentials like food and medicine. However, in 2023, 51% of all renters in St. Louis County are considered cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their household income on housing costs. Not surprisingly, low-income renters suffer the most: 76% of them are cost-burdened.
Easily visible on the Iron Range is the age of available housing stock. Fifty-nine percent of St. Louis County houses and 56% of rental units were built before 1970. Replacing wiring and plumbing, upgrading furnaces, and making structural repairs is often cost-prohibitive for property owners. In those older properties, according to the August 2018 Report of the Governor’s Task Force on Housing, “Conditions may have deteriorated to the extent that the health and safety of residents is compromised.”
North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity assists families with incomes between 30 and 60 percent of St. Louis County’s median income. Household income has not kept up with rising rent and home values, and the cost of building an affordable Habitat home has increased by 40 percent over the past two years. We have seen increased interest in our program due to rising housing costs and the decreasing supply of available housing options. Habitat for Humanity is one part of a great network of non-profit and government organizations that continues to work on the need for affordable housing.
We are one part of a great network of non-profit and government organizations that continues to work on the need for affordable housing. By partnering with you, we are making a difference in many people’s lives and getting closer to a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
What it's all about
At our 2023 annual dinner, Habitat homeowner Autumn Ritchie shared her journey to homeownership and how owning a home has impact her and her family’s lives. She said, “I look forward to seeing what other opportunities the future holds that will be possible because I decided to apply for a Habitat home. This opportunity, which was afforded to us by you, is not just a house—it’s a home. A blessing. A safe haven.”
2023 Habitat on the Hill
Habitat on the Hill is an annual nonpartisan advocacy event hosted by Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota and Twin Cities Habitat. On April 25, staff, board members, volunteers, and homeowners from across the state gathered at the Capitol in St. Paul to speak with elected officials and to support housing legislation.
NSLCHFH staff spoke with Rep. Spencer Igo, Rep. Dave Lislegard, Rep. Roger Skraba, and Sen. Robert Farnsworth and explained how their votes could help make housing more accessible and affordable for more Minnesotans.
PO Box 24