James Lehnhoff

James Lehnhoff joined Minnesota Housing in March 2019 as the Assistant Commissioner for the Multifamily Division. In his role, he leads the teams that implement capital funding programs to construct and preserve rental homes that are affordable, perform regulatory compliance and asset management, and manage rental assistance contracts on behalf of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Multifamily Division works in collaboration with partners throughout the state to deliver on Minnesota Housing’s vision that all Minnesotans live and thrive in a safe, stable home they can afford in a community of their choice.

Over the last 20 years, James has built a portfolio of local and state government, municipal finance, and real estate development experience, including extensive work in developing housing that is affordable, land use planning, economic development, community engagement, and project management. Prior to joining Minnesota Housing, James served as the Director of Portfolio Strategy at CommonBond Communities, Municipal Advisor at Ehlers & Associates, the Vice President of Real Estate at Aeon, and was the Community Development Director for the City of Arden Hills.

James holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

AC25 Session: Driving Lower-Cost Development