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Minnesota Toolbox

Policies in the Minnesota Toolbox are grouped into six categories, each of which reflects a role that the state and local governments can play to ensure the availability of a full range of housing choices for Minnesota families.  Select a category to view the policies and learn more.

Finance Tools for Housing Choices

Dakota Heights
Use the momentum of the marketplace and local tax resources to increase the supply of housing options in your community.


Preserve Existing Housing & Neighborhoods

Live MSP
Preserve the existing housing stock as a community resource that is well-maintained and marketable now and into the future.


Expand Opportunities for New Housing

Expand Opportunities
Increase the supply of new housing by spurring private development of underutilized or contaminated property and publicly-owned buildings and land.

Support Homeownership


Housing Compas
Help spur homeownership, provide resources to make informed decisions and provide programs that help them stay stably housed.





Support Connected, Healthy, and Livable Communities
Connected Healthy
Encourage and support connected, healthy, and livable communities, ones that take a sustainable approach to environmental, cultural, economic, and human resources.




Support Sustainable Development Practices

Crane Ordway
Support actions to reduce the region's overall carbon footprint by lowering the impact on of development on the environment, reducing the long-term maintenance of buildings and spaces and providing energy efficiency to lower overall energy costs.



Photo credits (L to R, top to bottom): Courtesy of Dakota County CDA; Courtesy of Live MSP.ORG; Courtesy of Brooklyn Park; Heart of the City, Burnsville MN -- courtesy of Joe Urban, Inc.; Copyright Regents of the University of Minnesota. Used with the permission of the Metropolitan Design Center;Crane Ordway Model Unit --courtesy of Aeon