Campaign mailing address: 5705 W 36th St, St. Louis Park, MN 55426
Office Sought: City Council Member – Ward 3
Are you an Incumbent or Challenger: Challenger
City of Residence: St. Louis Park
How long have you lived in your community?
3 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?
No
Describe your civic and/or community engagement.
Starting in January 2023, for over a year I served weekly as a volunteer English/ESL teacher to adult immigrants through CLUES (Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio), a local Twin Cities organization. This consistent weekly commitment involved working directly with first-generation immigrants to help them develop English language skills and navigate life in their new community. This volunteer experience deepened my understanding of the diverse needs within our community and reinforced my commitment to public service. Through this role, I’ve seen how dedicated community engagement can make a real difference in people’s lives, and it has inspired my decision to run for city council to serve the broader St. Louis Park community. CLUES – Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio https://clues.org.
What are the most important housing challenges facing your community?
St. Louis Park faces a serious housing shortage that’s driving up costs for renters and buyers alike. We need more housing options at different price points, but we also have to maintain quality standards. One big problem I see is how we’re burdening small property owners with excessive red tape and costs. Right now, every rental property gets inspected every other year, regardless of how well the landlord maintains it. Good operators should be able to earn less frequent inspections, while low performing landlords should be held accountable and be under increased scrutiny. On top of that, rental license fees keep going up, and those costs just get passed on to renters. The 2024 pre-eviction notice ordinance adds another layer of complexity and makes it harder for small landlords to operate and could actually reduce the number of rental units available.
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 focus on streamlining permitting processes and reducing regulatory barriers that delay new construction and the remodeling of existing units. We should incentivize development of diverse housing types including townhomes, small apartment buildings, and accessory dwelling units. Having worked directly with property owners through my professional experience, I understand how to balance necessary regulations with practical implementation that doesn’t discourage investment in our housing stock.
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’ll advocate for zoning reforms that allow more affordable entry-level housing options like townhomes and smaller lot single-family homes. Additionally, we should partner with local financial institutions to expand access to credit and homebuyer counseling, while exploring innovative financing tools. I also propose sponsoring community education programs for all residents, with particular focus on underserved populations, to help them understand the benefits of homeownership and practical steps to achieve it. These programs should cover topics like building credit, understanding mortgage options, down payment assistance programs, and the long-term financial benefits of homeownership. By providing this education in multiple languages and accessible formats, we can ensure that all community members have the knowledge and resources needed to pursue homeownership. My background in financial services gives me insight into how we can work with lenders to create more pathways to homeownership, while my volunteer experience with CLUES has shown me the importance of accessible education and outreach to diverse communities.
How do you think your city can best balance the rights of tenants and property owners to effectively manage rental housing?
We need clear, consistent rules that protect both tenants and landlords while encouraging people to invest in rental housing. I think we should reward good landlords with reduced inspections or fees if they have a solid track record. Any new rules we pass should consider whether they’ll actually reduce the housing supply by making it too expensive or complicated for property owners to operate. I would also look at removing outdated rules or look to amend them, such as allowing short-term rentals or allowing more than four unrelated persons to rent a single family home as this is currently not allowed. Through my work with Shuk, I’ve seen how better communication and transparency between landlords and tenants leads to better outcomes for everyone. My experience has shown me that we need policies that make it financially viable for good property owners to stay in business while ensuring tenants have safe, well-maintained places to live.
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?
Property taxes are always a balancing act – we need enough revenue for city services, but we can’t price people out of their homes or discourage property investment. I’m worried about how fast assessments have been rising, which creates real affordability problems for longtime residents. I want to push for more predictable assessment practices and make sure our tax policy helps both current homeowners and new development. We should also look at whether the city is operating efficiently so we can provide good services without unnecessary tax increases. Property taxes are really the main tool we have at the local level, so we have to use them wisely.
Please provide links to all social media accounts connected to you or your campaign.
The campaign website is currently under development and will be shared upon launch. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miles-lerner-b2a2956a/
Please list any notable endorsements for your campaign.
Endorsements are being sought and will be announced as they are received.
