Campaign mailing address: PO Box 50289, Minneapolis MN 55403
Office Sought: Minneapolis City Council Ward 7
Are you an Incumbent or Challenger: Challenger
City of Residence: Minneapolis
How long have you lived in your community?
13 years
Are you a Homeowner or Renter?
Homeowner
Do you own other real property (e.g. Business, Cabin, Investment, or Rental Property)? If so, which?
No
Describe your civic and/or community engagement.
I currently serve as Minneapolis Park Board commissioner for District 4, a role I’ve held since 2022. Before that I was a volunteer in my local park, helping initiate a public-private partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to restore the Seven Pools in Thomas Lowry Park. I have lived in Lowry Hill the last 13 years and in my 20s lived a few years in The Wedge and Phillips neighborhoods.
What are the most important housing challenges facing your community?
Right now there is a lack of investment and new construction in Minneapolis due to several factors. It is expensive to build and rehab housing due to interest rates, threat of increased tariffs on materials and the increasing cost of labor. It is becoming more expensive to maintain homes while home valuations are not increasing in some neighborhoods enough to justify the investment. In addition, there are the public safety concerns and the ever-present possibility the city council could enact rent control measures. The city needs to take creative measures to stimulate investment in our city at all levels – commercial and residential. I’ll support policies to rapidly build more housing of all kinds throughout the city and help lower barriers to investment which in turn will create jobs and increase affordability. Our great city needs to become a more competitive and safe place to invest.
The Twin Cities Metro is facing a housing shortage unlike any we have experienced in recent history. What will you do to increase the number of homes available to residents of your community?
I’ll work with developers, Realtors®, homeowners, renters, city staff, Labor, and other partners to identify ways to encourage new development and build more housing across the city. That could mean adjusting regulations, for example, or introducing new tax incentives. I’m also committed to opposing misguided policies like rent control that slow development and reduce the number of homes available to residents of my community.
Minnesota has one of the largest homeownership gaps between Whites and Blacks, Indigenous, and People of Color. This is one of MAR’s primary concerns. What would you propose at the local level to close this home ownership gap?
I would consider growing or continuing programs to make home ownership more affordable, in particular first-time home buyers who want to buy in the city of Minneapolis. Low-interest rate loans, possible property tax adjustments or expanding market value exclusions like the ones Hennepin County already provides to veterans. Elected leaders also need to listen and work with community leaders to gain insights into how various cultures view home ownership and learn how to better bridge this gap. This could be an informal “buddy” system pairing a first-time home owner with a seasoned owner in the same area for support, learning and encouragement.
How do you think your city can best balance the rights of tenants and property owners to effectively manage rental housing?
The key word in this question is balance and considering the needs of both. Property owners need a financial model that makes sense in order to pay the rising costs of maintenance and property taxes and tenants deserve well-maintained properties and a sustainable living situation. Long-term renters get discouraged to see the months of free rent deals promoted to new renters with no incentives given for reliable long-term renters. As Ward 7 is almost 60% renters, I’m committed to ensuring affordability and good living conditions for my constituents. I am also committed to brainstorming ideas that incentivize property owners to invest in their buildings and continue to invest in Minneapolis.
What are your views on property tax rates in your community? Do you have concerns related to your city’s property tax rate? If so, how would you address those concerns once elected?
I’m concerned that the rate of property tax increases in Minneapolis is not sustainable. As our city’s population is aging, it is becoming increasingly unaffordable for folks to stay in their homes. Minneapolis’s increased tax burden is making us increasingly less competitive with surrounding communities. With commercial valuations still decreasing and Minneapolis ranked number one in distressed commercial real estate debt, we will continue to lose property tax revenue in upcoming years. We cannot expect the residential property tax to make up this differential. I’m committed to finding places to save money in our budget and cut if we have to (protecting core city services), rather than place a higher property tax burden on our residents.
Please provide links to all social media accounts connected to you or your campaign.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/elizabethshafferformpls
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/elizabethshaffermpls/
Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/elizabeth-shaffer-for-city-council/
Please list any notable endorsements for your campaign.
My campaign is endorsed by the Minneapolis DFL, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis Councilmembers Michael Rainville, LaTrisha Vetaw, and Linea Palmisano, the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters (NCSRCC), Minneapolis Firefighters Local 82, Park Board President Cathy Abene, Park Commissioners Steffanie Mussich and Charles Rucker, former U.S. Attorney Andy Luger, Downtown Council Executive Director Adam Duinick, MN Rep. Julie Greene (HD-50A), former Minneapolis city councilor Lee Munnich, former DFL Party chair Mike Erlandson, and multiple Ward 7 small business owners
