The Challenge
Only about 9 to 12% of Somali households in Minnesota own their homes. Nearly 29% of Somali immigrant households are overcrowded, compared with 1.2% of U.S.-born households, because the market builds few affordable homes with three or more bedrooms. For many observant Muslims, the barrier is not whether they can afford a mortgage but whether they can take one at all. The 2026 enforcement surge showed how quickly lost income becomes lost housing: Minneapolis alone estimated $15.7 million in extra rent need. Change is possible. Hmong Minnesotans went from about 10% homeownership in 1990 to over 60%.
Five Pillars
1. Keep families housed now: a standing Somali-community emergency rent fund, statewide rent relief, longer notice before eviction during emergencies, and free legal help in Somali. 2. Build homes that fit Somali families: reward affordable projects with three- to five-bedroom units, preserve large units in Cedar-Riverside, Phillips and first-ring suburbs, and review occupancy rules. 3. Open the door to homeownership, interest-free: a Minnesota Housing interest-free home loan by 2027 at true parity with conventional loans, down-payment help that works with Sharia-compliant financing, and more Sharia-compliant lenders. 4. Enforce fair housing and fix bad conditions: Somali-language fair housing testing, safe complaint lines and proactive inspections. 5. Build community capacity and trust: long-term funding for Somali-led housing organizations, one Somali-language housing front door, and 12 trained housing navigators.
Goals for 2031
Raise Somali homeownership to 20%, roughly 2,000 more owner households. Launch a mainstream interest-free home loan by the end of 2027, with 300 closings a year by 2030. Cut overcrowding to below 19%. Add or preserve 1,000 affordable three- to five-bedroom homes in the metro. Cut eviction filings against Somali households by 25%, and cut the share paying more than half their income on rent by 10 points. Make core state and metro housing materials available in Somali. These targets are proposals to be confirmed with community partners in the plan's first six months.
Status: Five-Year Plan, October 2026 – December 2031
The plan moves in three phases with two checkpoints. At the end of 2027 we ask whether the interest-free loan is live and Somali housing data is published; at the end of 2029 comes an open, community-reviewed midpoint check against all seven goals. With new state housing funding down 71%, the plan leads with no-cost policy changes, then targeted asks, including $40 million for emergency rent relief and at least $50 million for first-generation down-payment help. A yearly public dashboard will track progress. Agencies, lenders, landlords and families who want to help are welcome to contact us.
Contact us to learn about our data initiatives or partnership opportunities.
Telephone: 651-333-9285 (Fax: 651-204-9510)
E-mail: ashire@iftiincdf.org
Address: 450 Syndicate Street North, Suite 275, Saint Paul, MN 55104