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HF1051 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Sacred community requirements amended, municipalities authorized to regulate and establish approval processes for sacred communities, and remedy established for noncompliance.

Related bill: SF1723

AI Generated Summary

This bill, H.F. No. 1051, focuses on providing housing solutions for individuals who are chronically homeless, extremely low-income, or serving as volunteers, by streamlining and defining the process through which religious institutions can establish "sacred communities" composed of micro units. The bill outlines the following key changes:

  1. Authorization for Dwelling in Micro Units (Subdivision 2): Religious institutions can establish sacred communities to provide permanent housing to specific groups under certain conditions. These institutions must annually certify their compliance with eligibility standards and any municipal approval processes.

  2. Sacred Community Requirements (Subdivision 3): Sacred communities must provide basic amenities such as access to water and electricity to residents. They must also ensure the installation of adequate plumbing and common facilities comparable with those required in an R2 boarding house. Other stipulations include appropriate insurance coverage, a limit on the percentage of units for designated volunteers, and a requirement to have written plans covering logistics like waste disposal and community safety.

  3. Municipal Rental Housing Regulation (Subdivision 6): Municipalities can regulate micro units within sacred communities as single-family or multi-family rental residences, provided they have appropriate ordinances in place.

  4. Administrative Approval Process (Subdivision 7): Enables municipalities to establish an approval process for siting sacred communities, which religious institutions need to comply with. This process includes annual submissions verifying compliance.

  5. Enforcement (Subdivision 8): Empowers municipalities to seek injunctions to enforce compliance with the established administrative approval processes or to address violations of state or federal law within sacred communities.

Overall, the bill sets a framework for managing and regulating small, religiously-managed housing communities aimed at supporting vulnerable populations, while ensuring that these setups meet necessary safety, health, and administrative standards.

Bill text versions

Actions

DateChamberWhereTypeNameCommittee Name
February 16, 2025HouseFloorActionIntroduction and first reading, referred toElections Finance and Government Operations

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Added a subdivision outlining the application of municipal rental housing licensing regulations to sacred communities."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The bill amends existing statutes regarding sacred community requirements and introduces several new concepts and processes.",
      "modified": [
        "Authorized religious institutions to provide permanent housing in sacred communities and amended utilities access requirements."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "327.30"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This rule relates to the number and type of fixtures required for R2 boarding houses and is referenced for sacred communities.",
      "modified": [
        "Standards apply to sacred communities aligning them with R2 boarding house requirements."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "1305.2902"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The sacred communities are subject to landlord and tenant laws under chapter 504B.",
      "modified": [
        "Establishes legal obligations and protections for sacred community dwellings similar to traditional rental properties."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "504B"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "References the governmental approval requirements for municipal plans and processes.",
      "modified": [
        "Municipal approval processes for sacred communities must comply with this section."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "15.99"
  }
]

Sponsors