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REPORTS / RESEARCH
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MN Housing News - Presented by MHA
  • REPORTS / RESEARCH
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News

Minnesota Public Radio: Lack of affordable housing has tenants fighting to stay in problem landlord’s properties

EXCERPT: “Dozens of families on Minneapolis’s north side recently got some really bad news from the city: They would have to move out by Feb. 28. It’s not because of anything they did. It’s because of their landlord, Mahmood Khan. The city of Minneapolis revoked all 42 of his rental licenses for not maintaining his properties. Over the past decade, he’s received thousands of citations from the city. A recent court order will allow tenants to stay in their homes beyond the end of February, but the city still hopes Khan’s tenants can find new places to live. Many of Khan’s tenants say they want to move, too, but they can’t find anywhere else to go. There’s currently less than a 2 percent vacancy rate for affordable housing in Minneapolis, so landlords can be picky and turn away tenants with bad credit, criminal records or previous evictions.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2zDNhZD

News

Governor’s Office: Governor Mark Dayton Establishes New Task Force on Affordable Housing

EXCERPT: “Joined by affordable housing advocates and community stakeholders, Governor Mark Dayton today issued Executive Order 17-14, creating the Governor’s Task Force on Housing. The nonpartisan task force, comprised of experts and advocates from across Minnesota, will develop solutions to alleviate Minnesota’s housing challenge, and connect more Minnesota families with good places to live. The inability to find safe, affordable housing near job centers and good schools can be a significant barrier to employment and education opportunities for workers and families. Research further shows that children affected by housing insecurity are more likely to struggle in school.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2BlsThN

News

Mankato Free Press: Pilot partnership provides new homes while cleaning up mobile home parks

5a3ad0e61eff2.imageEXCERPT: “The Simmons family’s last home had holes in the floor and their pipes often would freeze and sometimes burst because it got so cold inside in the winter. Kelsey and Donald Simmons covered the holes with two-by-fours and made other improvisations they could afford on a tight budget. But they realized it wouldn’t be long before their mobile home built in 1972 would be no longer be inhabitable. In November they moved into a newer, warm trailer with solid floors thanks to a partnership between the city of Mankato, Minnesota Valley Action Council and three mobile home parks, with support from a state grant.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2Blszj3

News

MHA Sets Affordable Housing Strategies

MHA logo(2)Minneapolis – The Minnesota Multi-Housing Association is introducing a framework to preserve and develop affordable rental housing throughout Minnesota.

Today, the organization released strategies that will be key to reaching those optimistic, yet achievable goals. These strategies are meant as a framework for a discussion to improve affordable housing in Minnesota.

The framework has three key goals:

  1. Protecting Residents
  2. Preserving Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH)
  3. Producing More Multifamily Housing

Protecting Residents

Eviction is a worst-case scenario for everyone involved. For landlords, it’s a costly and time-consuming process, as is finding and screening new tenants to replace those lost. It’s costly for government agencies and private organizations who step in to help the displaced residents. And, above all, it’s costly to those who find themselves in need of shelter. Reasonable efforts to keep residents in their homes benefit all of the parties.

Short-term strategies

  • Streamline approval of county Emergency Assistance funds
  • Continue best practices adoption by housing assistance programs
  • Housing counselor/resident education training
  • Voluntary pre-eviction mediation
  • Expand resident rental assistance at the local level

Mid-term strategies

  • Develop pilot project for household financial emergency stabilization funds
  • Resident relocation, including time and/or assistance, under certain limited circumstances

Long-term strategies

  • More economic development and stimulus leading to better paying jobs, including affordable education opportunities and workforce readiness training, with a focus on the housing sector
  • New pathways and incentives for affordable home ownership

Preserving Naturally-Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH)*

One of the most cost effective means of providing affordable multifamily housing is through the preservation of existing naturally-occurring affordable housing stock. This also helps to stabilize residents of communities who are at the greatest risk of dislocation.

Short-term strategies

  • Expand use of 4d tax classification with reasonable regulations
  • Low cost debt and/or equity sources for loans and grants for rehab, only for preserving affordable housing
  • Streamline approval of non-conforming units
  • Expand 40% rebate programs for energy upgrades
  • Funding for NOAH acquisitions by mission-driven partners (Greater MN Housing Fund – NOAH Impact Fund)

Mid-term strategy

  • Reduced utility rates

Long-term strategy

  • Equal property tax treatment for homeowners and rental housing residents

Producing More Multifamily Housing

Changing demographics and the strong economy have created an unprecedented demand for rental housing. Meeting this increased demand for housing has put a tremendous strain on the market. While there are numerous high-end units being built, due to a number of factors including the high construction costs and regulatory burdens, there has been insufficient production of new, affordable units. This imbalance between supply and demand has been felt most by lower income populations seeking a place to live. An increase in the supply of housing units is one component of solving this problem, and is a critical element in meeting housing needs.

Short & mid-term strategies

  • Promote lower-cost design and construction of apartments by shortening the funding and approval process and reducing costs and fees
  • Expand use of 4d tax classification for new unsubsidized affordable housing

Long-term strategies

  • Sales tax exemption for new affordable and rehab construction materials
  • Dedicated state funding source for affordable housing
  • Homegrown Fund initiative for metro-wide affordable housing funding via sales tax (Minnesota Housing Partnership Proposal)

 

*The contractual agreements for NOAH and “tax credit-free” or “government grant-free” new construction of affordable housing would have time frames commensurate with the level of government support and would be annually self-certified, but subject to audit and claw backs for violations. Limited compliance activity is essential to incentivize market-rate housing providers’ participation.

As an observation, subsidized affordable housing would also benefit from all the aforementioned strategies to lower the cost of construction.

News

Fannie Mae Issues $10 Million ‘Challenge’ to Help Address America’s Affordable Housing Crisis

EXCERPT: “Fannie Mae today announced the launch of its Sustainable Communities Innovation Challenge (The Challenge). The company will commit $10 million over two years to attract promising ideas that will help it address the nation’s affordable housing issues. The company expects to receive proposals from across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Fannie Mae is seeking proposals to effectively increase access to sustainable communities that Fannie Mae, working with other industry stakeholders, can ultimately scale.” FULLSTORY: http://prn.to/2COEXbv

News

Winona Daily News: Winona to host informational meeting on available housing renovation funds

EXCERPT: “The city of Winona is hosting a public informational meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, in the Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall, 207 Lafayette St., to explain the details and answer questions regarding the East-Central Neighborhood Revitalization Program funded by Minnesota Housing Finance Agency and Greater Minnesota Housing Fund. The $325,000 is to assist low-to-moderate income homeowners residing from Hamilton to Franklin streets and from Mark to Front streets in making home improvements.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2BHiVdO

News

Pioneer Press: 121-unit apartments planned at Weyerhaeuser Lumber site

1-stanthonyproject

EXCERPT: “The Millberry Apartments, a $38 million affordable-housing development planned at 700 Emerald St., received a major boost from the St. Paul City Council on Wednesday. Meeting as the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the council approved the sale of up to $19 million in conduit tax-exempt housing revenue bonds. They also approved a partial waiver of the city’s development fees. Dominium, a national developer of affordable housing, plans to construct a 121-unit, four-story “workforce” apartment building at the former Weyerhaeuser Lumber site.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2AyDR2S

News

WCCO-TV: Mounds View Students Make Hats For Affordable Housing Residents

Mounds View Students Make Hats For Affordable Housing Residents « WCCO   CBS Minnesota

EXCERPT: “A group of high school seniors is hoping a hobby can help those in need, particularly when it comes to head gear. This group of friends from Mounds View High School is really into crocheting. So much so, that the group is making 100 hats for local affordable housing residents. The five students have chosen residents at Common Bond’s Skyline Apartments in St. Paul to receive their handy work.” FULLSTORY: http://cbsloc.al/2jwBGcX

News

Rebusiness Online: Dougherty Provides $4.8M HUD Loan for Construction of Affordable Housing Property in Ramsey, Minnesota

dougherty-minnesota-1

EXCERPT: “Dougherty Mortgage LLC has provided a $4.8 million HUD 221(d)(4) loan for the construction of Greenway Terrace in Ramsey, about 30 miles north of Minneapolis. All 54 of the property’s units will be restricted to individuals and families earning 50 percent or less of the area median income.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2BaZGcq

News

Twin Cities Business: The Apartment Glut That Wasn’t

Apartment-buildingsEXCERPT: “Thousands of units have come online in the downtowns, Uptown, near the University of Minnesota and throughout the suburbs—and construction cranes are everywhere. There has been talk for months of an apartment bubble or glut. Despite that, it’s getting harder to find an apartment. The Twin Cities metro area’s vacancy rate dropped from an already low 2.8 percent at the beginning of the year to 2.4 percent during the second quarter, according to a report by Marquette Advisors. A healthy apartment market has a vacancy rate around 5 percent. The low rate has given landlords more power to raise rents.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2k9JmOr

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