Minnesota Housing Commissioner Mary Tingerthal joined community leaders today to announce funding to create and preserve more than 1,700 affordable homes throughout the state, including rental units and single family houses.
The announcement outlined funding for 55 developments that support more than 3,600 jobs and will leverage additional private and local resources for more than $364 million in total development costs.
Each of the projects announced today was selected through a single common application process with funding from Minnesota Housing, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund and the Metropolitan Council.
“We know that the smartest investment we can make in our state’s future is securing a foundation of strong communities and stable homes for all Minnesotans,” said Commissioner Tingerthal. “Since the beginning of the Dayton administration, we have touched every corner of our state by investing $1.7 billion in more than 35,000 units of affordable housing. I’m proud of our work and the difference it has made for children, families, businesses and communities across Minnesota.”
One of the projects to be funded this year is the new Jeremiah Program site in Rochester, which will provide 40 young families with a place to call home and give them successful strategies to transition from poverty to prosperity, two generations at a time. The announcement took place at the Saint Paul location of the Jeremiah Program where the program has demonstrated its success for more than 10 years.
Jeremiah Program graduate Brittany Block understands firsthand the impact the program can have.
“When I came to the Jeremiah Program, they provided a safe space for me to work through my past trauma so I was able to be a present and attentive mother to my son,” said Block. “In the end, Jeremiah provided a path for me to create even bigger dreams – dreams I didn’t even know were possible.” Brittany graduated from Jeremiah Program in 2014 and now has a degree in Business Management from St. Mary’s University. She is co-manager of a salon, where she also leads marketing and social media.
The projects selected today bolster Minnesota’s workforce and communities and meet our growing affordable housing needs by:
-Providing more housing for workers: Nearly three-quarters of the projects announced today will fund the new construction of rental homes that will provide critical housing for workers and maintain economic
competitiveness for employers. New housing will support businesses large and small in greater Minnesota
communities like Baxter, Buffalo, Mankato, Rochester, Staples and St. Michael as well as the Twin Cities Metro Area. In Scott County alone, where four new projects will be funded, the estimated population growth is more than 27,000 new households by the year 2040. Far more housing is required to meet the needs of employees at business like Amazon, Shutterfly and others across the region.
– Investing in what works: We are investing in projects with models that have demonstrated success. Conifer Estates opened in 2012 in Bemidji, giving residents not only stable homes, but also access to life-skills training, money management, employment referrals, counseling, and crisis intervention. New funding announced today will expand this successful model and allow the project sponsors to break ground on Conifer Estates II, adding 32 townhomes with services for people experiencing behavioral health issues.
– Creating more affordable housing in suburban areas: Many suburban communities understand that a mix of housing options is essential to a thriving community for all residents. This year, nine developments will create more than 500 new housing opportunities for families in suburban high opportunity areas, including new construction projects in areas like Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Inver Grove Heights, Vadnais Heights, Shakopee and Waconia.
– Ending homelessness: We’re supporting the State Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness by investing in supportive housing – like Lydia Apartments in Minneapolis, which has served residents for more than 15 years and where units will be added so that more people experiencing homelessness can find a home and be connected with services. This year 22 of the new rental housing developments throughout the state will offer some units that provide supportive services.
– Supporting homeownership: Funding awarded today will provide Habitat for Humanity chapters across the state with resources to support an estimated 87 homes and help additional housing partners to acquire, rehabilitate and construct high quality homes. Additional projects include those that will help tribal nations to increase homeownership among their members, help owners of dilapidated manufactured homes to replace them with high quality used homes, help seniors with critical home repairs that allow them to age in place and help young families put down roots in rural communities.
#BETTER MN: Under the Dayton Administration, Minnesota Housing has invested $1.7 billion to create or preserve more than 35,000 places to call home in every corner of the state using resources like those announced today.
“Too many families across Minnesota struggle to afford quality housing, forcing them to cut back on other essential needs like food, medicine, and education,” said Governor Mark Dayton. “This critical investment in affordable housing across our state will strengthen our local communities and Minnesota families.”
In addition to these annually awarded competitive resources, Minnesota Housing also has an impressive record supporting homeownership. Since 2011, the agency has financed $4 billion in mortgages, helping more than 26,000 families achieve the dream of homeownership for the first time. The funding awards announced today also further the goals and recommendations released in the recent Housing Task Force report that called for 300,000 new homes by 2030 across all types, prices and locations. See complete recommendations at mnhousingtaskforce.com.
View a catalog of funded developments, maps and a detailed breakdown of all funding awards at mnhousing.gov.
