Explore the Issue

We CAN achieve our vision if we create understanding.

Many people express concerns about the broken housing market in the Twin Cities, but say they aren’t sure what to do about it. The issue seems so complex that people don’t know where to start. Making matters worse, often people hear conflicting information on the topic and don’t know what to believe.

Can you relate to this feeling? You might be wondering - Who’s affected? What is the solution? Does this affect my neighborhood? Is there anything I can do?

Creating dialog and understanding is a big step towards the solution. Over the next several months we'll be adding interactive activities and games below to help people who visit gain a better understanding of the issues. Think about ways to share your ideas with others and get ready to make a difference.

Online Activity Center

Explore housing by trying the activities below:

WHY does housing matter? Play this puzzle game to find out why housing matters to our community.

WHAT does the solution look like? Play this game to test your memory and visualize the solution to fix our region's housing problems.

Explore the connection between race and housing on this interactive site: http://www.pbs.org/race/006_WhereRaceLives/006_00-home.htm 

Ask your local library about the video RACE – The Power of an Illusion Episode III: The House We Live In (part of a three-episode series). Click here for the transcript: http://www.newsreel.org/transcripts/race3.htm

Learn about Housing in the Twin Cities: How is your County Affected?

MHP’s “2 x 4” Report tracks two timely and important trends in each of four key housing areas: the rental market, the owners’ market, homelessness and the housing industry: Check out MHP's "2x4" 4th Quarter Report released March 22, 2010 2009.

For 2009, the county profiles paint a picture of continuing housing need, especially for lower-paid occupations. Look at Minnesota's Statewide profile here at 2009 County Profiles from Minnesota Housing Partnership.

What are people in housing blogging?

Follow and/or subscribe to Kim Skobba's blog Housing Sense: Making sense of housing research, trends and talk

Housing Matters to Everyone

It is a critical component of stable families and strong communities.

Studies show that one of the best ways to strengthen communities is by investing in quality housing that’s affordable to people at all income levels. This means that creating quality housing choices in our neighborhoods benefits all of us.

Click on the Minnesota Housing Partnership graph above to see what housing affordability is like in the Twin Cities.