Campaign mailing address: PO Box 8136, Minneapolis, MN 55408
Office Sought: Minneapolis City Council – Ward 10
Are you an Incumbent or Challenger: Challenger
City of Residence: Minneapolis
How long have you lived in your community?
I grew up in the Northside of Minneapolis and have been living in Uptown for the past 5 years
Are you a Homeowner or Renter?
Renter
Do you own other real property (e.g. Business, Cabin, Investment, or Rental Property)? If so, which?
I am in the process of selling my home in Northeast Minneapolis due to a water pipe that broke and caused flood damage. The insurance company denied my claim and the cost for remodel was too expensive for me to do.
Describe your civic and/or community engagement.
I am the executive director for the Stevens Square Community Organization where I work directly with residents, business owners, and more to help improve the neighborhood. I also serve on 2 boards: Partnership in Property Commercial Land Trust (PIPCLT) where we help black and brown business owners own their commercial spaces without financial burden and the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEEMA) where we host “Art A Whirl” annually creating opportunities for local artists to showcase and sell their work.
What are the most important housing challenges facing your community?
This might be the easiest question I’ve been asked all year! In Minneapolis, as in many other places, the biggest challenge is the skyrocketing cost of housing. Minneapolis has made reforms in recent years to help tackle it but we still need to do more to allow our younger generation to have a chance at homeownership. A lesser challenge that isn’t as talked about is the fact that we don’t have as many apartments with three and four bedroom units that families can use – without these types of homes we will continue to see families flee to the suburbs.
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?
Effectively what we will do is even the playing field and make it easier for small and local developers to build. I want to ease the building restrictions and increase the maximum floor area ratio in the zoning codes so that average residents can actually take advantage of the Minneapolis 2040 plan allowing duplexes and triplexes by right. I want to legalize point access block buildings up to six stories (from the current three stories) like New York City and Seattle; this helps apartment buildings add the three and four bedroom units that our city’s families need. Lastly, I want to have a set of pre-approved designs that make it easier for everyone to build on the city’s empty lots or add an accessory dwelling unit to their property.
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?
We need to ensure that we continue supporting Minneapolis’ homeownership support programs like down payment assistance and first-time homebuyer initiatives. Without these tools, improved public safety, and an expanded housing supply (as detailed in the previous question), it is extremely difficult to increase equitable access to housing.
How do you think your city can best balance the rights of tenants and property owners to effectively manage rental housing?
Ultimately, we need to listen to both parties. The tenant/property owner relationship can obviously be a tough one with each making sacrifices that the other doesn’t know about. That is why listening to both sides when it comes to issues facing the council is extremely important and why I will ensure that I continue to hold recurring office hours for anyone to attend. Accountability with both parties is essential including absentee landlords and difficult tenants.
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?
In the last four years, property taxes in Ward 10 have increased by approximately 27% – this is unacceptable. We have many residents that are living paycheck to paycheck and we need to be good stewards of their tax dollars. Last year, we saw council members directly give city funds to various groups and completely disregard the RFP process that has been the standard for years. This is unacceptable and needs to be changed in future years. I would also like to ensure that if property taxes are raised, residents will physically see changes to their neighborhood such as improved public safety, more durable roads, working street lights, greenery additions, and sustainable improvements.
Please provide links to all social media accounts connected to you or your campaign.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/p/Lydia-Millard-Campaign-Page-61572475911862/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/campaignlydiamillardward10/
Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/lydiaward10.bsky.social
X – https://x.com/LydiaMWard10
Please list any notable endorsements for your campaign.
Central States Regional Council of Carpenters. All of Mpls, We Love Minneapolis
