Housing

Homes for sale and rent are in short supply in Duluth, and prices are at historic highs that make  housing unaffordable or even unattainable. For those who do have a home in Duluth, property taxes are unreasonably high because of those rising home values. Too many of us can’t find good housing that’s within our budget, whether that’s young people just starting out, families struggling to make ends meet, seniors on fixed incomes struggling to stay in their homes, or new residents looking for a better job and a better life in Duluth.

Everyone deserves the chance to thrive, not just survive. Many of us aren't doing either in Duluth, and a lack of housing inventory is the number one reason why. Duluth needs to act now to take advantage of this opportunity to grow our population, and reap the benefits of having more businesses and residents to share in the cost of maintaining our infrastructure and services.

I’ve seen the impacts of our housing crisis first hand.

Housing in Duluth is something I know a lot about. I've been a Duluth Realtor for over 20 years, and I've gotten to know every neighborhood in our beautiful city. I also serve as a Commissioner with Duluth's Housing and Redevelopment Authority, which works to house our low-income and vulnerable population. I see the numbers monthly, charting the time it takes for those with Section 8 vouchers to find a place to live. The waitlist for public housing is heartbreaking. 

I've seen a lot of run-down houses, working in real estate. But I’ve seen even more battered hearts. I've cried with clients losing their homes during the recession. And now I cry with clients who've written their 20th offer, but have lost out on a home yet again. Many of these folks have had to leave Duluth reluctantly, all because of the housing shortage.

Our housing challenges stifle business, too.

Employers need places for new employees moving to Duluth to live. But rental units are in short supply, and rents are unaffordable. That means business expansion isn't sustainable, since workers can’t find housing. People are still renting when they should buy homes. The “missing middle” in all this is first-time home buyers, who aren’t getting the chance to buy a house and build generational wealth. This is hurting all of us.

When it comes to housing, we need to do a better job of serving vulnerable communities, too. Those with addiction and mental health challenges live in tents and on our streets. Those who've served jail time, and want to start a new life, can't find a place to live as their first step to becoming contributing members of society. And landlords just pass over those with poor credit and criminal records because they have a massive pool of renters they can choose from. The lack of housing only worsens the problems that plague us — mental health, addiction, crime, and poverty.

We CAN make Duluth attractive to builders!

We need to make Duluth a place where homebuilders are eager to build. To encourage investment and development of our housing stock, we should streamline, simplify, and improve our permitting and inspection processes. Duluth ordinances should be amended to trim unnecessary red tape, too. After all, the city council shouldn’t keep outdated policies that only stand in the way of our success.

Thank you for your support!

– Lynn Marie