Bloomington, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 9 § 9.04

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings unless the context indicates otherwise.


ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT. See DWELLING, ACCESSORY .


AFFORDABLE. Housing is AFFORDABLE when no more than 30% of the gross income of the household is required to pay for such housing and utility costs, fees and charges.


AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILDING. A rented three-family, fourplex, multiplex, or multiple-family dwelling, where at least 9% of the units are let for an amount that is affordable to households at or below 60% of AMI.


AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER. A developer of housing whose portfolio serves households at or below 60% of AMI.


AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN. The plan submitted by a developer as part of a final site and building plan or final development plan approval pursuant to this chapter and Chapter 21 .


AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND. A trust fund established by the City Council for the purpose of collecting and disbursing funds for affordable housing programs in accordance with the requirements set forth in Article VIII.


AFFORDABLE RENTS. The rent and utilities for the affordable opportunity housing units will be based on HUD Fair Market Rents for the Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Bloomington, Minnesota.


AREA MEDIAN INCOME (AMI). The median household income as most recently determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota-Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, as adjusted for household size and number of bedrooms.


BLOOMINGTON HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA). The Housing and Redevelopment Authority in and for the City of Bloomington that was created by an act of the Legislature of the State of Minnesota entitled “Municipal Housing and Redevelopment Act” approved and in force April 23, 1947 and by Special Law, Chapter 616, 1971 as amended by Special Law, Chapter 344, 1977, and that operates as the city’s public housing agency and whose purposes include administration of a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and other public housing programs.


CO-LIVING DEVELOPMENT. A building or portion thereof containing five or more co-living units. This use is not a residential care facility as defined in § 21.601 , or any other group housing type that requires a state license.


CO-LIVING UNIT. A separate, private living space that has access to a shared kitchen and other communal living space. Each private living space may or may not include a private bathroom, but must not include cooking facilities, specifically a stove or oven. Co-living units are typically leased on an individual basis and collectively do not constitute a dwelling.


DENSITY BONUS UNIT. A unit as a result of an increase in density permitted above the per acre limit established by the city code.


DESIGNATED TRANSIT AREA, TIER I. The area within a one-half mile walk of a transit stop or station for transit lines designated METRO by Metro Transit, measured from the closest general purpose door of the development to the nearest qualifying transit stop or station.


DESIGNATED TRANSIT AREA, TIER II. The area within a one-half mile walk of a transit stop or station that offers at least hourly service weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., measured from the closest general purpose door of the development to the nearest qualifying transit stop or station.


DEVELOPMENT. A new or existing residential housing development at a site, including a mixed-use development with a housing component, for which approvals have been or are being sought from the city.


DEVELOPER. Any person, individual, firm, partnership, association, joint venture, company, corporation or any combination of said entities.


DISTRICT PLAN. An adopted plan focused on one or more sites within an area that is intended to guide development, land use, transportation, preservation and other factors over a number of years
or in several phases for a specific area or district.


DWELLING. One or more rooms designed for residential use by a single family that contain cooking, living, sanitary and sleeping facilities and that are physically separated from any other dwelling units in the same structure. Types of DWELLINGS are:


(A) DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY. A building designed or used for residential occupancy by one household with or without an approved accessory dwelling unit.


(B) DWELLING, ACCESSORY. A secondary dwelling unit, but not a manufactured home built on a permanent chassis, located on the same lot as a single-family dwelling unit, either physically attached to, within, or detached from the single-family dwelling unit. Accessory dwelling units must be developed in accordance with the standards set forth in § 21.302.03 .


(C) DWELLING, TWO-FAMILY. A building designed as a single structure, containing two dwelling units, not including accessory dwelling units, where dwelling units are configured side by side sharing a common unpierced wall extending from ground to roof for a minimum of ten feet, or above and below one another sharing a common unpierced ceiling and floor extending from exterior wall to exterior wall. Dwelling units in a TWO-FAMILY DWELLING may be connected by a common stairwell exterior to both units and share main entrances and exits exterior to both units.


(D) DWELLING, THREE-FAMILY. A building designed as a single structure, containing three dwelling units. Dwelling units in a THREE-FAMILY DWELLING may be connected by shared hallways exterior to all units and share main entrances and exits exterior to all units.


(E) DWELLING, FOURPLEX. A building designed as a single structure, containing four dwelling units. Dwelling units in a FOURPLEX DWELLING may be connected by shared hallways exterior to all units and share main entrances and exits exterior to all units.


(F) DWELLING, MULTIPLEX. A building designed as a single structure, containing five to 16 dwelling units, where dwelling units are configured in part vertically above and below other dwelling units. Dwelling units in a MULTIPLEX DWELLING may be connected by shared hallways exterior to all units and share main entrances and exits exterior to all units.


(G) DWELLING, COTTAGE COURT. The arrangement of multiple detached single- family dwellings in a single development oriented around an on-site common open space or courtyard. Each dwelling unit may be located on its own individual lot or on a common lot containing all detached dwelling units and the common open space.


(H) DWELLING, DETACHED TOWNHOUSE. The arrangement of multiple detached single-family dwellings in a single development, each of which is located on its own individual lot that is narrower than otherwise permitted for an individual single-family dwelling or on a common lot containing all detached dwelling units.


(I) DWELLING, MULTIPLE-FAMILY. A building designed as a single structure, containing 17 or more dwelling units where dwelling units are configured in part vertically above and below other dwelling units.


ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD. A household with an annual income at less than or equal to the required AMI of an opportunity housing unit.


HOUSEHOLD. One person or more living alone or two or more persons sharing residency.


HOUSING TAX INCREMENT. Increments from a housing district that can be used to finance affordable housing projects or public improvements that are directly related to the project, as well as administrative expenses pursuant to state law.


INCOME. Household income adjusted for household size includes:


(A) EXTREMELY LOW INCOME. Household income at or below 30% of AMI.


(B) VERY LOW INCOME. Household income above 30% to at or below 50% of AMI.


(C) LOW INCOME. Household income above 50% to at or below 60% of AMI.


(D) MODERATE INCOME. Household income above 60% to at or below 115% of AMI.


INCOME LIMITS. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets income limits based on Median Family Income estimates and Fair Market Rent area definitions. Multifamily Tax Subsidy Projects (MTSP) Income Limits are used to determine qualification levels as well as set maximum rental rates for projects funded with tax credits authorized under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code) and projects financed with tax exempt housing bonds issued to provide qualified residential rental development under section 142 of the Code.


MARKET RATE UNIT. A residential dwelling unit marketed for sale or lease above 115% of AMI.


NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING (NOAH). Existing owner-occupied or rental residential housing that is (a) affordable for at least 20% of the units to a household at or below 60% of AMI, (b) classified in the Class B and C real estate categories, and (c) was constructed between 1940 and 1990.


NEXUS STUDY. An analysis that estimates new affordable housing demand generated in response to new market rate residential real estate development due to spending by new resident households.


OPPORTUNITY FUND. Private investment vehicle, certified by the United States Department of Treasury, to aggregate and deploy capital for eligible uses on property in an opportunity zone.


OPPORTUNITY HOUSING UNIT. A housing unit that has income and affordability restrictions pursuant to this chapter.


OPPORTUNITY ZONE. A census tract in the City of Bloomington that has been designated by the United States Department of Treasury as eligible to receive private investments through opportunity funds.


OWNER. The individual or entity who holds title to a property as indicated in Hennepin County’s property records.


PRIMARY RESIDENCE. The legal and verified permanent residence of a household.


RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. A residential or mixed use development, that includes any single family, two-family, three-family, fourplex, multiplex, detached townhouse, townhouse, cottage court dwelling, condominium dwelling, co-living, or other residential unit. RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT includes the conversion of rental housing to condominiums or similar residential uses if applicable.


SITE. A lot, or group of adjacent lots intended, designated or approved to function as an integrated unit, that is proposed for development in accord with the provisions of this code and is in a single ownership or has multiple owners, all of whom execute a joint application for development.


SUBSTANTIAL REHABILITATION. When the cost of improvement of an affordable housing building exceeds 20% of the value of the property, excluding land, after improvements.


(Ord. 2019-16 , passed 2-25-2019; Ord. 2019-30 , passed 8-5-2019; Ord. 2021-1 , passed 3-8-2021; Ord. 2022-30 , passed 6-6-2022; Ord. 2022-39 , passed 8-8-2022; Ord. 2024-5 , passed 3-18-2024; Ord. 2024-28 , passed 11-18-2024; Ord. 2025-07 , passed 4-28-2025; Ord. 2025-10 , passed 6-2-2025; Ord. 2026-10 , passed 4-27-2026)