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Hennepin County is expanding its work to grow affordable housing opportunities in 2022.
The recent infusion of federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act is an unprecedented opportunity to make transformational investments in affordable housing.
At the same time, significant actions taken by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in recent years to increase local investment and refine a wholistic affordable housing strategy provide a strong framework to meaningfully address long-standing affordable housing challenges and reduce housing disparities.
In 2022, Hennepin County will be offering new programs and funding opportunities for affordable housing development and preservation, while also building on the success of existing programs.
Keep reading for an overview of upcoming requests for proposals (RFPs) expected in early 2022.
Anticipated timeline: Posted January 6, proposals due February 3
Hennepin County's annual coordinated request for development proposals will look a little different in 2022. We're honing our focus on affordable housing development and homeownership, adding new programs, and increasing funding for others. This year, we're also setting aside funds for projects in areas impacted by civil unrest and for developers from racial and ethnic minority groups.
Approximately $17 million will be available through four primary programs, including:
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Affordable Housing Incentive Fund (AHIF) - $5 million for affordable rental housing development or preservation
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HOME Investment Partnerships - $2 million for affordable rental housing and homeownership development or preservation
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(NEW) Homeownership Development Fund - $1.245 million for creation of long-term affordable homeownership opportunities
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(NEW) Affordable housing accelerator fund - $9 million for affordable rental housing development and affordability gap assistance
The Transit Oriented Development program will host a separate RFP process in 2022, with an anticipated release date in March.
Information session
Come learn more about the programs included in this year's coordinated affordable housing development RFP at an open information session:
Due to public health considerations, this event will be hosted virtually with Microsoft Teams.
Anticipated timeline: Round one posted December 21, proposals due January 24, 2022
Up to $8.65 million total will be available to address rehab and maintenance of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) properties that may have been postponed during the pandemic. Funding may also be used for additional non-profit acquisition and preservation of at-risk NOAH properties.
For round one, up to $5 million will be available. Additional funding up to $3.65 million will be available for a second round, targeted for release in March 2022.
Anticipated timeline: Posted in February with one month proposal period
Now in the fourth year, Hennepin County's Supportive Housing Strategy offers capital funding and technical assistance to develop long-term affordable supportive housing. This type of housing serves some of our most vulnerable residents, including those with a combination of extremely low-incomes and other conditions or challenges to stable housing.
In 2022, Hennepin County will be seeking proposals that serve the following priority populations:
- Young adults with neuro-diverse conditions
- Young adults experiencing sexual exploitation
- Young adults in and leaving extended foster care
- Unaccompanied minors
Proposals will also be accepted for projects serving the priority population groups targeted in 2019 through 2021.
Learn more about the priority population groups and the Supportive Housing Strategy
Single Room Occupancy housing operators RFP
Anticipated timeline: Early 2022
Hennepin County will be looking for entities with interest and expertise in running Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing.
As the county looks to transition properties acquired during the pandemic to serve as protective shelter into long-term SRO housing in the coming year, we are looking for partners to help model and operate SRO housing properties.
Later in 2022, additional RFPs may be issued to acquire and convert properties for SRO housing.
Julia Welle Ayres
Hennepin County
Director of Housing Development and Finance
Julia.WelleAyres@hennepin.us
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