The housing market is difficult to navigate alone and it can be hard to know where to find help. A housing fair Thursday in Maplewood can offer answers.

Realtors, housing organizations, elected officials and local government staff will be present at the St. Paul Area Association of Realtors second annual Housing Resource Fair to provide information about homebuying.

“Housing is expensive. A lot of people can’t afford it, and interest rates haven’t been helping,” SPAAR media relations director Erin Mathe said. “This is really a means of helping people who are challenged by trying to afford housing and connecting them with resources that they may not know are available.”

Paige Kahle, a real estate broker who serves on the association’s housing affordability task force, said people often have questions about what kinds of down payment resources are available to them. The housing fair will be an opportunity for them to receive information about down payments, as well as rental assistance.

“There will be about 15 to 20 different organizations — nonprofit housing organizations and government housing organizations — that will be there to provide information to folks,” Kahle said.

According to the Minnesota Housing Partnership’s 2024 State Housing report, the current median sales price is $389,700, up 2.6% from one year prior, impacting homebuyers who feel unable to buy in the current market.

About 20 percent of Minnesota homeowners (nearly 336,000) and 50 percent of Minnesota renters (nearly 306,000) are considered housing-cost burdened, meaning more than 30 percent of their income is spent on housing, according to the report.

Participating organizations include Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, Twin Cities YIMBY, Spare Key, NeighborWorks Home Partners, Neighborhood House, Washington County, Dakota County, MN Homeownership Center, Minnesota Housing, Second Harvest Heartland, Neighborhood Development Alliance, Mni Sota Fund, City of Saint Paul’s Housing Division, HUD, NAHREP and LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance and Recovery Care LLC.

The Housing Resource Fair is free to attend and runs from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday at the St. Paul Area Association of Realtors office at 325 Roselawn Ave. E. in Maplewood.

For more information visit, spaar.com.