♪♪ >> Mary: WELL, WE'RE CONTINUING THIS BIPARTISAN HOUSING CONVERSATION AND JOINING US, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN CALL THEM AN ODD COUPLE.

>> LET'S NOT START RESUMERS.

OKAY.

>> Mary: REPUBLICAN SENATOR ERIC LUCERO AND DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE KRISTIN BAHNER.

FIRST OF ALL, SENATOR LUCERO, I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE KIND OF DIFFERENT POLITICALLY.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE.

>> WELL, WE ACTUALLY BOTH LIFEHOUSE IN THE NORTHWEST METRO.

SO WE'RE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER, BUT ONE THING THAT THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED IS THE DEFINITE NEED FOR HOUSING.

AND SO WE IN THE NORTHWEST HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE HOUSING EXPLOSION OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

SO WE'RE ON THE FOREFRONT OF THIS ISSUE.

SO H.O.A.s IS AMONG THAT.

>> Mary: YEAH, WE'LL GET THERE.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FIRST THING OF HOW YOU GET TOGETHER WITH LUCERO AND WHETHER YOUR COLLEAGUES HERE BELIEVE YOU.

>> BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE LIKE EACH OTHER MORE THAN WE LET ON.

SENATOR LUCERO AND I HAVE WORKED A NUMBER OF TIMES ON I.T.

RELATED ISSUES AND HAVE HAD A REALLY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP THERE.

AND THEN OF COURSE TALKING ABOUT H.O.

A.s I THINK BRINGS A LOT OF FOLKS TOGETHER RIGHT NOW.

AND AS YOU MENTION, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN AN EXPLOSION OF HOUSING BOTH NATIONALLY ND HERE IN MINNESOTA AND PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTHWEST.

WHERE WE LIVE.

AND ALONG WITH THAT, WE'VE ALSO SEEN AN EXPLOSION OF H.O.A.s AND ASSOCIATIONS.

I THINK IT'S RIGHT NOW THAT 82% OF NEW HOUSING IS -- FALLS UNDER AN H.O.A.

>> Mary: LET'S JUST STOP FOR A SECOND.

THAT'S A HUGE NUMBER.

I'M GUESSING THE AVERAGE PERSON HAS NO IDEA, HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS, WE SHOULD DE-LINGO FOR A SECOND TOO.

WHY ARE WE SEEING IT SO PREVALENT NOW?

>> WELL, THE -- SO PART OF MY BACKGROUND IS A REAL ESTATE AGENT.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN EXPLAINING AS I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION IS I GREW UP IN THE NEW BRIGHTON, ST. ANTHONY VILLAGE AREA, AND A COMMUNITY LARGELY DEVELOPED IN THE '60s.

ALSO THEN GOING AROUND THE FRIDLEY, COLUMBIA HEIGHTS.

THESE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT WERE DEVELOPED WITHOUT H.O.A.s.

AND THEN YOU EXPAND A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, GET OUTSIDE THE 694/494 BELT AND THAT'S WHERE YOU BEGIN TO SEE THAT.

IN OUR DIRECTION ANYWAY.

AND SIMILAR.

SO THE REASON IS, MANY COMMUNITIES ARE PUTTING REQUIREMENTS FOR AMENITIES THAT REQUIRE AN H.O.A.

TO BE FORMED.

SO WHEN A DEVELOPER COMES TO A CITY, THEY WOULD SAY, HEY, IN ORDER FOR US TO APPROVE THIS, WE WANT YOU TO HAVE A SWIMMING POOL OR A PLAYGROUND OR SOME OTHER FEATURE, >> Mary: LET ME JUMP IN.

THAT SOUNDS GREAT.

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE?

>> WELL, AND I THINK THE REALITY IS THAT UNFORTUNATELY, OUR LAWS JUST HAVEN'T KEPT PACE.

AND WE SEE THIS AGAIN NATIONALLY AND HERE AT HOME.

WITH ABOUT ONE IN FOUR FOLKS IN MINNESOTA NOW LIVING IN AN H.O.A.

REALISTICALLY, OUR LAWS REALLY DON'T DO A GOOD JOB OF SETTING SORT OF THOSE GUARDRAILS, SETTING UP EXPECTATIONS AND RULES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OUR ASSOCIATIONS.

OR FOR OUR PROPERTY MANAGERS.

AND THEY OFTEN LEAVE CONSUMERS WITHOUT ANY PROTECTIONS, RIGHT?

SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE AMERICAN DREAM TURNS INTO YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE, RIGHT?

>> Mary: AND YOU'VE HEARD SOME NIGHTMARES.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NIGHTMARES THAT ARE BEHIND THIS BILL?

>> WELL, BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF GUARDRAILS, BECAUSE THE LAW HAS NOT BEEN KEEPING UP, WE HAD COMMUNITY SESSIONS DURING THE WORK GROUP THAT WE HOSTED.

AND AMONG THE PEOPLE THAT CAME IN, A LOT OF DIFFERENT TESTIMONIES.

ONE OF THOSE THAT WAS MOST STRIKING WAS IN MY OWN COMMUNITY IN OTSEGO WHERE A WOMAN CAME IN.

HER TOWNHOPE WAS PART OF AN H.O.A.

SHE WAS TRAVELING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS OUT OF COUNTRY AND HER TRASH CAN WAS LEFT DOWN AT THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY.

THERE WAS A BY-LAW THAT SAID IT HAD TO BE UP BY THE HOUSE AND BECAUSE SHE NEGLECTED TO DO THAT, SHE INCURRED SEVERAL FINES TO A WHOPPING TOTAL OF $56, AND THEN THEY BEGAN THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS.

>> Mary: WAIT, FORECLOSED ON A $56 >> WELL, THEY BEGAN IT.

I THINK SHE WORKED TO NOT ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN.

>> Mary: HAS THIS BEEN SHOCKING FOR THE LAWMAKERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO HEAR?

>> IT DIDN'T END WITH THE $56.

WHAT IT ACTUALLY DELIVERED IS AN ATTORNEY'S BILL FOR ALMOST $3,000.

$2,500 TO $3,000.

ON TOP OF THE $56 FINE.

AND I THINK WHAT WE TALK ABOUT A LOT IN THE WORK GROUP AND WORKING WITH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN YOU TALK TO AVERAGE PEOPLE, THAT'S JUST NOT REASONABLE.

RIGHT?

TO HAVE SOMEONE FORECLOSE ON YOUR HOUSE FOR $56?

TO END UP WITH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN ATTORNEY FEES FOR SOMETHING REALLY SIMPLE THAT COULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

AND SO THIS REALLY SETS SOME REALLY STRONG GUARDRAILS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ABUSES THAT WE'VE SEEN.

AND START TO MAKE GOOD -- >> Mary: I WONDER IF THE TWO OF YOU AND THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE A CASE STUDY FOR LEGISLATING.

YOU MENTIONED WORKING GROUP OUTSIDE OF SESSION, BEFORE YOU KNEW THAT EITHER OF YOU MAY BE SERVED IN A TIED CHAMBER AND HAD TO WORK TOGETHER.

TALK ABOUT THE VALUE OF THAT.

>> WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO THESE ISSUES, ESPECIALLY HOUSING, ACROSS THE BOARD, IT'S NOT JUST REPUBLICANS.

IT'S NOT JUST DEMOCRATS.

IT'S NOT INDEPENDENTS.

IT'S NOT ANY OF THOSE TRADITIONAL BREAKDOWNS OF GROUPINGS.

THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT'S IMPACTING EVERYBODY.

YOUNG AND OLD.

DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN.

>> Mary: BUT IT TOOK WORK OUTSIDE OF SESSION.

>> CORRECT, MY POINT IS, THE NECESSITY THAT THIS IS AFFECTING EVERYBODY, WE COME TOGETHER, IT'S NOT -- TAKE OFF THE HATS OF DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN.

THE CONVERSATIONS -- ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN THAT POLITICAL AT ALL.

IT'S BEEN, WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS, THE PAIN POINTS THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING.

>> Mary: HOW DO OTHER PEOPLE DO THIS ON OTHER ISSUES HERE?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK -- WELL, I WOULD ARGUE THAT IT HELPS TO BE A GOOD MODERATE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATOR FROM THE SUBURBS.

>> Mary: THE SENATOR DOESN'T LIKE THE WORD MODERATE, THOUGH, RIGHT, DO YOU?

[ Laughter ] >> BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT IT SAYS IS THAT REASONABLE PEOPLE CAN COME TOGETHER WHEN WE HAVE REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS NEED US TO TACKLE.

AND, YOU KNOW, REALISTICALLY, WHEN WE HEARD FROM FOLKS IN EVERY CORNER, DURING THOSE LISTENING SESSIONS, WHICH I KNOW I FELT REALLY STRONGLY WERE SUPER IMPORTANT, WE START TO SEE THOSE THEMES EMERGE.

AND THAT HAS NO IDEOLOGY.

IT HAS NO SPECIFIC POLITICAL PARTY.

IT'S REALLY ABOUT SAYING, HOW DO WE COME TOGETHER AND DO