The Minnesota Starter Home Act aims to increase the accessibility of affordable housing by modifying municipal zoning authority and comprehensive plan requirements.

Key Provisions:

1. Comprehensive Plan Amendment Exemptions:

   • Cities are not required to amend their comprehensive plans to accommodate zoning changes for new housing developments until December 31, 2029.

2. Easier Approval for Affordable Housing Developments:

   • Comprehensive plan amendments allowing affordable housing developments now require only a simple majority vote rather than a two-thirds majority.
     
   • "Affordable housing" is defined as housing where at least 20% of units remain affordable for at least ten years to households earning 60% or less of the area median income.

3. Expansion of Permitted Residential Housing Types:

   • Cities must allow single-family homes, duplexes, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in all residential zones.
     
   • Townhouses must be allowed in newly platted lots after June 1, 2025, and on vacant lots.

4. Zoning Restrictions for Starter Homes:

   • Cities must permit at least two residential units per lot in single-family zones.
     
   • Lot size minimums and density allowances are adjusted:
     
     • Duplexes and single-family homes with municipal water/sewer must have lot sizes no larger than 5,445 square feet.
       
     • Townhouses must have lot sizes no larger than 1,500 square feet.
       
   • Cities cannot impose stricter building standards (e.g., setbacks, lot coverage, parking) than those applied to single-family homes as of January 1, 2025.

5. Parking, HOA, and Development Restrictions:

   • Cities cannot mandate a minimum number of parking spaces for residential developments.
     
   • Cities cannot require or incentivize homeowners associations (HOAs) as a condition for development approval.

6. Streamlined Approval Process:

   • Cities must adopt an administrative process for approving new residential developments and cannot impose additional burdensome requirements beyond normal single-family home approvals.
     
   • Conditional use permits (CUPs) or planned unit development (PUD) agreements can only be required for documented health or safety concerns.
     
   • Cities must approve or deny permits based on existing zoning and subdivision regulations without delaying tactics such as unnecessary public meetings.

7. Ban on Interim Ordinances Blocking Housing Developments:

   • Cities cannot enact moratoriums to delay or block the implementation of these housing requirements.

Impact:

This bill seeks to increase starter home availability by making zoning laws more flexible, reducing bureaucratic barriers to development, and preventing municipalities from using restrictive policies to limit affordable housing growth.