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About Us

Minnesota Housing is the state’s housing finance agency. We finance housing that low and moderate-income Minnesotans can afford while helping Minnesotans buy and fix up their homes.

Along with fostering strong communities, we provide resources to stabilize neighborhoods, communities and families. We work cooperatively with others to support the development and preservation of affordable rental housing.

For more than 50 years, we’ve worked to provide access to safe, decent and affordable housing and to build stronger communities across the state. In 2023, we distributed $1.85 billion in resources and served 69,500 households.

Our Vision, Mission, Values and Objectives

Vision

All Minnesotans live and thrive in a stable, safe and accessible home they can afford in a community of their choice.

Mission

Housing is foundational to a full life and a thriving state, so we equitably collaborate with individuals, communities and partners to create, preserve and finance housing that is affordable.

Principles and Values

We will:

Center the people and places most impacted by housing instability at the heart of our decision making
Listen, share power and support
Honor, respect and strengthen communities
Be inclusive, equitable, just and antiracist in our actions
Be creative and innovative problem solvers
Be nimble, flexible and responsive
Make decisions based on data and evidence
Improve constantly
Build and leverage resources
Be accountable for our results

Strategic Objectives

We strive to:

Improve the housing system
Strengthen communities
Preserve and create housing opportunities
Make homeownership more accessible
Support people needing services

Board of Directors

Minnesota Housing is managed by a board of directors. The board ensures the Agency's independence when making decisions and maintaining financial assets. The board is composed of the state auditor and six members of the public appointed by the governor with advice and consent of the Senate.

The board meets at least once a month. Meetings are open to the public.

Learn more about the board members and meeting schedule.

Commissioner Jennifer Leimaile Ho

Jennifer Leimaile Ho is the seventh Commissioner of Minnesota Housing, appointed by Governor Tim Walz in January 2019 and reappointed in 2023.

The Commissioner has been working to end homelessness since 1999, first as executive director of Hearth Connection and later as deputy director at the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. Her roles have focused on the intersection of health and housing, particularly health care financing and improving outcomes associated with supportive housing.

Commissioner Ho served as the Senior Advisor for Housing and Services at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama Administration and worked with First Lady Michelle Obama to launch the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness.

She currently serves on the board of the National Council of State Housing Agencies and the Melville Charitable Trust. Commissioner Ho received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Bryn Mawr College.

To contact the Commissioner, reach out to Rachel Franco, Executive Assistant to the Commissioner, at rachel.franco@state.mn.us or 651.296.2172.

D ownload a high-resolution image of Commissioner Jennifer Ho.

Servant Leadership Team

The Servant Leadership Team (SLT) is made up of senior leaders who help guide the direction of the Agency.

Jennifer Leimaile Ho, Commissioner
Contact Rachel Franco

Rachel Franco, Executive Assistant to the Commissioner
rachel.franco@state.mn.us

Rachel Robinson, Deputy Commissioner
rachel.robinson@state.mn.us

Ryan Baumtrog, Assistant Commissioner, Policy and Community Development
ryan.baumtrog@state.mn.us

Scott Beutel, Assistant Commissioner, Special Projects
scott.beutel@state.mn.us

James Lehnhoff, Assistant Commissioner, Multifamily Division
james.lehnhoff@state.mn.us

Kayla Schuchman, Assistant Commissioner, Single Family Division
kayla.schuchman@state.mn.us

Rinal Ray, Assistant Commissioner, Housing Stability Division
rinal.ray@state.mn.us

Cathy ten Broeke, Assistant Commissioner and Executive Director, Interagency Council on Homelessness
cathy.tenbroeke@state.mn.us

Irene Kao, General Counsel
irene.kao@state.mn.us

Jill Mazullo, Communications Director
jill.mazullo@state.mn.us

Rudi Mohamed, Chief Information Officer
rudi.mohamed@state.mn.us

John Patterson, Director of Planning, Research and Evaluation
john.patterson@state.mn.us

Brittany Rice, Director of Equity and Inclusion
brittany.rice@state.mn.us

Debbi Larson, Executive Financial Officer
debbi.larson@state.mn.us

Matt Dieveney, Executive Investment Officer
matthew.dieveney@state.mn.us

Jodell Swenson, Director of Human Resources
jodell.swenson@state.mn.us

Our Commitment to Equity

We are committed to racial diversity, equity and inclusion in all of our work, from our hiring practices to our investments in new homes.

Minnesota Housing acknowledges that its offices are located on Dakota land. We recognize that local, state and federal housing policies have disadvantaged Indigenous people, Black Minnesotans and households of color for decades.

We listen to and incorporate the words of those who have faced housing instability and homelessness. We are expanding our work with developers of color and we strive to close the homeownership gap between white households and households of color. Minnesota Housing supports staff members with continuing education to better serve Minnesota as antiracist public servants.

Learn more about the Agency's commitment to equity.

Feature: "Where We Began"

“Where We Began” tells the origin story of the Agency, from the kernel of an idea to its inception and subsequent growth over the decades.

Early Commissioner Jim Solem reads from the original 1971 charge and notes it still rings true today.

The chapter covers Minnesota Housing’s early years, how its work helps Minnesotans achieve housing stability, and how the Agency has matured over the past five decades.

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Where We Live: Celebrating 50 Years