Here -- distilled from questionnaires, policy papers and forums -- are the housing plans being espoused by the six major candidates:

-- Jay Benanav, noting that housing "is no longer just a social justice issue,'' says it is a development issue, too. He cites studies that say public investment in housing more than pays for itself. He says he will be a "voice and advocate for housing.''

-- Jerry Blakey says housing is an economic development issue affected by city spending. He said his emphasis is on holding down taxes, which will attract investors. That, in turn, he says, will attract people who will make the city work and a good place to live. He also calls for quadrupling the number of downtown residents to 20,000 to add to the city's livability.

-- Randy Kelly says housing would be the priority of his administration. He says his administration would create 5,000 housing units in the city in its first (four-year) term. He also says the first act of his administration would be introducing a Housing Rights Ordinance regarding code enforcement.

-- Bob Kessler would create a division of housing and small business for the city and make housing its No. 1 priority. He would enlist private, state and city resources to work jointly on developing housing. The issue is critical, not just for homeowners but for renters, he says.

-- Bob Long wants to establish a Neighborhood Development Corp. -- patterned after Mayor Norm Coleman's success of the St. Paul Riverfront Corp. for downtown -- to raise private donations toward a $50 million to $100 million housing fund. He also says he would make sure money from the city's sales tax will go to housing, as was originally intended.

-- Bobbi Megard says it is necessary to develop housing for all income levels in all neighborhoods. Good housing, she says, is vital to the economic health of neighborhood businesses. She would hire a housing expert as "housing czar" within the Department of Planning and Economic Development.

Among the 10 other candidates in the race, housing suggestions range from that of Tom Fiske, who wants a law that sets rent as a percentage of a person's income, to the Rev. Devin Miller, who wants to ensure quality housing for all but has not outlined a specific plan.

--- Karl J. Karlson