Apartment permits declined by 48 percent in the past year in St. Paul. The city’s voters approved one of the nation’s most aggressive rent stabilization ordinances in November 2021.

[Updated June 14, 2023 to accurately reflect the state of Minneapolis’ rent control ordinance.] Apartment construction is quickly declining in St. Paul, bucking national trends and raising questions about the effects of the aggressive rent control policies adopted by voters in 2021.
Frederick Melo reports on new data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that show a 48 percent decline in apartment permits in just a year.
“The numbers of permitted units ended the year roughly on par with the city’s 10-year average, which was weighed down coming out of the Great Recession a decade ago. That’s fair, bad or really bad, depending upon how you slice it,” writes Melo.
For local perspective on the decline in construction, Melo notes that neighboring Minneapolis, which advanced its own rent control ordinance in 2021, increased multi-family residential permitting by 16 percent in the same time period. Minneapolis city staff is still drafting that ordinance. Crystal King, a spokesperson for St. Paul’s Department of Planning and Economic Development, is quoted in the article saying that it’s too soon to say why the city’s multi-family development markets are headed in such different directions. As noted by Melo, St. Paul historically has lagged behind Minneapolis’ multi-family construction rates.
And there are significant differences between the rent stabilization ordinances approved in either city. “Opponents of rent control have been quick to point out a key policy difference between the two cities. St. Paul voters approved the city’s first-ever rent-control policy at the ballot box in November 2021, a strict 3% rent cap that was later loosened by the city council last September, with the mayor’s blessing, to exempt new development for 20 years,” writes Melo.
Melo reports more on the fallout from the permitting data, including responses from rent control advocates, in the source article below.
FULL STORY: By HUD counts, St. Paul’s apartment construction permits fell 48% after rent control. Was it temporary?

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.

Judge Halts Enforcement of Anti-Homeless Laws in Grants Pass
The Oregon city will be barred from enforcing two ordinances that prosecute unhoused residents until it increases capacity and accessibility at designated camping sites.

Advancing Sustainability in Los Angeles County Schools
The Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Green Schools Symposium brings together educators, students, and experts to advance sustainability in schools through innovative design, climate resilience strategies, and collaborative learning.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport