The home mortgage tax exemption has been the great engine of middle class prosperity for the past 70 years, but we’re facing a housing shortage that is hurting economic growth and keeping families from enjoying that same prosperity. Here are some initiatives for increasing the housing stock in northeast Minnesota:

• Push for no-money-down, first-time buyer mortgages
• Reduce or eliminate the tariff on Canadian lumber to reduce building costs
• Work for the reinstatement of the Minnesota historic tax credit
• Expand weatherization programs that help make home ownership affordable
• Seek funding for local solar panel production and installation
• Support expansion of voc-tech education to increase the # of tradespeople
• Support less expensive modular housing with bigger tax credits
• Oppose interest rate hikes, which are making home mortgages less affordable