The hunt to tackle a titanic crisis in affordable housing has the Met Council opening its coffers, dishing out $5.3 million in grants earlier this month to help lower-income families grab a piece of the American dream across several Minnesota communities, as reported by the Met Council. These livable communities grants, approved on January 10, are set to back both the birth of new homes and the safeguarding of older properties, covering a gamut from Brooklyn Center to Saint Paul.
Lisa Barajas, the Council’s Community Development Executive Director, laid out their mission, saying, “Throughout our region, communities want to increase the housing choices that are available to their residents,” and she explained the competitive nature of the program, noting "These grant programs are very competitive. While these awards don’t, by any means, address the entire regional need, they do make a dent and will provide both rental and ownership housing options that contribute to stability for so many families that are trying to make ends meet." The fresh funding pot is slated to fund the creation of 22 affordable homes and the production of 298 new rental units; this move has been celebrated as a leap towards increased homeownership, particularly among Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities.
A breakdown of the grants reveals a mixed bag of projects aiming for both rental and ownership opportunities – with the homeownership grants totaling $2.8 million. This includes the City of Edina’s Affordable Ownership Preservation initiative, boasting a $750,000 infusion to work with Habitat for Humanity and Homes Within Reach in a unique community land trust arrangement. Following suit is Minnetonka’s Affordable Twin Home Project, which is setting its sights on constructing affordable dual dwellings with $288,634 in grants, and Golden Valley's Home Ownership Program for Equity (HOPE) grabbing $948,000 to accelerate the development of affordable homes on public land.
On the rental side, totaling $2.5 million, Edina's 5780 Lincoln project is poised for an $450,000 investment aimed at family and supportive housing, meanwhile, the folks at the Carver Oaks Senior Residence in Carver County are getting their hands on $400,000 for a 43-unit building aimed at senior citizens.
Other notable projects include Maplewood’s Gladstone Crossing, targeted at youth-led and homeless youth families, which will benefit from $500,000, and Brooklyn Center’s PPL BC Family Housing Phase I, cashing in a cool $400,000 as part of the broader mall redevelopment strategy. Likewise, St. Olaf's Exodus Building in Minneapolis, which has captured $750,000 for a 66-unit supportive housing endeavor, utilizing both a church renovation and a fresh addition to foster community growth downtown.
