Housing security and justice are big issues in most Minnesota communities. Rising construction costs — and a lack of investment and renovation funds going back decades — means that communities statewide do not have enough affordable housing. We reached out to seven housing experts, each with unique perspectives. What problems can we solve together with innovation and collective action?
One of the experts interviewed was Irene Ruiz-Briseño, Program Manager with Greater Minnesota Housing Fund.
Ruiz-Briseño said, “In my work with emerging developers, they see the ways that a lot of our communities are left behind by the current housing system. They’re passionate and want to be part of the solution, but they face barrier after barrier of trying to solve other problems within the housing ecosystem.”
Some of those blocks include bureaucratic red tape, and hesitancy to invest in and fully support new developers. “Our emerging developers have the capacity to do so much more,” said Ruiz-Briseno. “However, it’s such a slow and arduous process, and all of the risk gets put on the brand-new developer.”
“I would like to see public funders streamline and simplify their processes so that emerging developers that want to use funds from the city, the county, and the state could do so through a process that is easier to navigate, with more support in place. We could remove the barriers to accessing funding sources,” she added.
Read the full story from the Minnesota Women’s Press.
Photo credit: Sarah Whiting, Minnesota Women’s Press
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