For the 2026 state legislative session, Align Minneapolis has one top priority for which we will advocate at the Capitol along with two ongoing priorities that remain important and we will continue to build support for. Below is information about the priorities and why they are important.

Align Minneapolis is part of the Homes for All coalition and endorses the full Homes for All agenda, which can be found here: https://homesforallmn.org/h4a-2025-agenda/

Top Priority: Homeless Prevention and Assistance Funds

Bill Numbers: SF1511, HF2144

Status: Hearing pending in Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee for Thursday, March 5, at 12:30 pm. Stay tuned for details.

Overview: Preventing homelessness from occurring is a critical part of addressing homelessness. The Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) provides much-needed direct assistance to help households get caught up on rent, and currently has only a fraction of the funding needed. The bill would provide an increase of $35M to the base appropriation of FHPAP to provide housing stability and reduce homelessness. We will provide letters of support and ask legislators to support this bill.

Bill of Rights for People Utilizing Shelter

Overview: This issue is a top priority for our friends at Street Voices of Change, the group of people with lived experiences of homelessness who come together to organize for meaningful change (supported by Align). The bill would provide a base standard for safe, adequate and dignified shelter across the State. Currently there are no State standards for shelters that provide space for people experiencing homelessness. Street Voices of Change worked hard to create a Shelter Resident’s Bill of Rights that is now part of Hennepin County contracts for shelter, and this bill would emulate that throughout the state. Other partners who are part of the work on this bill include MN Legal Aid and MICAH.

Constitutional Amendment for Housing

Bill Numbers: SF2621, HF3279

Status: Hearing scheduled in the Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee: Tuesday, March 3, 12:30pm, Room 1150, Minnesota Senate Building (95 University Avenue West., St. Paul)

Overview: The proposed amendment would create a dedicated source of funding for housing through a Constitutional Amendment. As a state we have significantly underinvested in housing and we need to ensure the state is making the investments required to truly address our current housing crisis. This legislation would put a question on the ballot in 2024 to ask voters to decide to amend our State Constitution to create 3 specific funds for housing- Homeownership Fund, Rental Opportunity Fund, and Household & Community Stability Fund– by adding a sales tax (food and clothing excluded) equivalent to 38 cents on every $100.