On Tuesday, May 9, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, acting as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, awarded $12,854,127 to 14 projects supporting 1,498 affordable housing units.  

In line with Hennepin County’s established housing strategy to prioritize investment in housing for people with the lowest incomes, 43% of these units will be affordable to households at or below 30% of the area median income (AMI).  

In addition, 90 supportive housing units will serve households experiencing homelessness, people leaving mental health treatment, and youth with foster care experience. 

Funding was provided through several different county housing programs, including the Affordable Housing Incentive Fund (AHIF), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), and the Supportive Housing Capital Fund. Nine projects are located in Minneapolis, and the remaining five are in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Medina, and Rockford.  

The board also awarded $1.96 million to create 37 new affordable homeownership opportunities. This years awards included funding for Hennepin County’s new Homeownership Assistance Program, created in 2022 to support the creation of homeownership opportunities through new construction and homebuyer assistance, and the HOME program.  

All 37 homeownership opportunities will maintain long-term affordability through land trust models. The projects will provide geographic choice to future residents, with 19 homes located in Minneapolis and 18 in greater Hennepin County. 

Stay tuned for a Request for Proposals for down payment assistance through the Homeownership Assistance Program, coming soon. 

Last week, partners celebrated the groundbreaking of Vista 44, a new development in Hopkins that will create 50 affordable rental units. Vista 44 is funded in part through Hennepin County’s supportive housing strategy, which provides housing for people with a combination of incomes below 30% AMI and other challenges to stable housing.  

Vista 44 is the first supportive housing strategy project for families to begin construction. It will provide: 

• 20 units for families prioritized for housing by Hennepin County’s Child and Family Services team 
• 25 units for families experiencing homelessness 
• 5 units at a slightly higher income (50% AMI) to allow families to stay in stable housing as their incomes increase.  

“Stable housing means stronger connections to school and neighbors, and a sense of community,” said Hennepin County District 6 Commissioner Chris LaTondresse, who spoke at the groundbreaking. “The supportive services at Vista 44 help to ensure that families are receiving the resources they need to get back on their feet for the long-term and create a healthy environment for kids to grow up in.”   

The Metro Inn, located at 5637 Lyndale Avenue South, was acquired by the county last year through our Single Room Occupancy (SRO) strategy. As part of the renovation process, the widely recognized sign was put up for sale at auction and is now headed to its new home in South Dakota.  

The county removed the sign because it represented decades of crime for the neighborhood, and it would have added operating costs for the new owner. Removing the sign confirms that this property will no longer be a motel, but permanent homes for future tenants. 

The buyer purchased the sign for about $200 and covered the removal and moving costs, estimated at over $10,000, which allows the county to put those funds into more building improvements, instead.