Habitat on the Hill Minnesota

FAQs

• What can I expect at Habitat on the Hill?

  Check-in starts at 9:30 a.m. with breakfast and coffee available for registrants in the L'Etoile du Nord Vault Room. We'll ask participants to move up to the Rotunda by 10:15 to be ready for the program to begin at 10:30. The program will include elected housing leaders at the State Capitol and a training session on Habitat’s legislative priorities for lawmaker meetings in the afternoon. After a group picture, a boxed lunch will be provided in the Vault Room, and groups will head out to meet with their elected representatives. Your group may be large or just yourself depending on who has signed up to join from your district! Expect a fun-filled day at the Capitol—and if you have any questions, Habitat staff will be available as support at the event.

  Full agenda will be available closer to the event.

• How do I get to the event?

  Room Locations

  Registration, Breakfast, Lunch: Held in the L’Etoile du Nord Vault Room at the Minnesota State Capitol. You can find this space at the basement level of the Capitol in room B-15.

  Main Program: Held in the Capitol Rotunda.

  Parking

  Drive and park at the multiple pay lots or street parking available near the Capitol including public lots: Lot C, Lot H, Lot K, and Lot Q. Lot AA is not an option this year due to construction around the Capitol complex.

  Public Transit

  To arrive you can take the Metro Transit Green Line and hop off at the Capitol/Rice Street Station.

  Ride Share

  Use Uber or Lyft to drop you off in front of the State Capitol Building.

• What are we advocating for this year?

  Click here to read our main priorities throughout the 2025 State Legislative Session. Highlights include:

  • Homeowner Association Reform to create a better system that benefits both residents and HOAs and ensures that HOAs are being used as intended: to benefit homeowners.

  • Investing in The Heights, Twin Cities Habitat's largest and most sustainable development ever, to bring much-needed affordable homeownership to St. Paul's Greater East Side.

  • Continue the First Generation Down Payment Assistance Program with more funding so that more first-generation homebuyers without access to generational wealth can finally achieve the dream of homeownership.

  • Increase funding for Homeownership Education, Counseling, and Training to preserve affordable homeownership, ensure that our clients are well prepared during and after the buying process, and help achieve long-term affordability.

  The specific items we'll be advocating for at Habitat on the Hill will be determined closer to Hill Day based on the status of our priorities in the legislature at that time. 

• What are Legislator Meetings like?

  While meeting with your lawmaker can feel nerve-wracking, remember that they are there working for you and your community! In a legislator meeting, we recommend opening with introductions and stories about why you are there to support affordable homeownership. Afterward, share Habitat’s legislative priorities and the impacts they can make for your community. Remember, you don't need to be an expert—you can share what you know, and if you get questions you can't answer, refer them to the Government Affairs Team. Finally, thank them for their time and that’s it! You can expect meetings to be less than 15 minutes long.

• What if I signed up but can no longer attend?

  No worries, it happens! Please email advocacy@tchabitat.org to unregister. Space is limited, so please take this step if you can't make it so your spot can go to someone else. Thanks!