In this edition of Minneapolis Promise Zone Updates:
- 2019 Housing Tax Credit Request For Proposals
- CityLab University: Inclusionary Zoning
- Look for ENERGY STAR® label when purchasing new equipment
- Legislating Environemental Racism
- 1 of every 5 grants awarded to MN nonprofits come from out-of-state funders
- Public Comment on Small and Medium Multifamily Land Banking Pilot
-
News, Events, and Jobs
- Promise Zone Preference Points
- About the Minneapolis Promise Zone
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2019 Housing Tax Credit Request For Proposals
The Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) Department periodically requests proposals for the Housing Tax Credit (HTC) program for qualified residential rental properties located in the City of Minneapolis.
The program offers a reduction in the tax liability to owners and investors in eligible low-income new construction, rehabilitation and/or acquisition of existing rental buildings.
NOTE: Current HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM COMPLIANCE MANUAL as well as other relevant tax credit compliance information is available at Affordable Housing Connections.
Applications materials:
2019 HTC Developer Letter – a copy of the letter that was sent to known tax credit developers announcing this year's request for proposals.
All applications, including those mailed, must be received no later than 4:00 p.m., August 23, 2018. Interested developers should review the HTC Manual and Qualified Allocation Plan and all additional materials.
More Information
CityLab University: Inclusionary Zoning
You’ve seen the term. But do you really know what it means? Here’s your essential primer.
If you’ve hung around the CityLab site, sat through a City Council meeting, or hobnobbed with a housing developer, you’ve probably run across the term “inclusionary zoning.” You might even think you know what it means. But wait, do you? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Welcome to the pilot edition of “CityLab University,” a resource for understanding some of the most important concepts related to cities and urban policy. If you like this feature, have constructive feedback, or would like to see a similar explainer on other topics, drop us a line at editors@citylab.com.
KEY POINTS
- Inclusionary zoning is a policy that was first developed in the 1970s in response to exclusionary and often racially segregated “snob zoning.”
- It’s a popular tool for getting the private market to subsidize affordable housing.
- But critics, namely developers and some economists, say the policy reduces the overall supply of housing, thus raising prices.
- Other anti-poverty critics say it’s a Band-Aid that doesn’t adequately address the housing needs of low-income people.
To read the full article click here
Look for ENERGY STAR® label when purchasing
new equipment
Efficiency should be one of the top factors to consider when
replacing energy-related equipment because it will result in lower utility
bills, lifetime maintenance costs and pollution.
Always look for the ENERGY STAR® label (the official symbol for
efficiency) and check out the ENERGY STAR website (www.energystar.gov) to compare
various models.
Minimum efficiency for ENERGY STAR-rated equipment includes:
-
Furnace: Annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating of at
least 95 percent for gas furnaces and 85 percent for oil furnaces;
additional savings with variable speed fan motors.
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Boiler: AFUE of at least 90 percent for gas boilers and 87
percent for oil boilers.
-
Air conditioner: Seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) of at least
14.
In addition, many appliances and mechanical equipment commonly
found in basements have energy-related ratings that should be carefully
compared before making purchases. These include water heaters, heat
recovery ventilators, dehumidifiers, clothes washers and chest freezers.
Incentives can help with replacement costs
Check with your utility company, which may offer rebates when
purchasing high-efficiency equipment. Tax credits and other incentives may
exist for energy-saving products and renewable energy systems. Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables &
Efficiency (www.dsireusa.org) for
a list of rebates and incentives in Minnesota.
Low-income households that qualify for the Weatherization
Assistance Program (WAP) may be eligible for assistance to replace
flood-damaged equipment originally provided by the program. Call your
weatherization service provider or the Commerce Department's Energy Information
Center at 800-657-3710 to learn more.
Legislating
Environmental Racism
Recent threats to environmental protection will have an especially severe
impact on people of color and low-income communities, who are
disproportionately exposed to environmental health burdens - many of which have
roots in intentionally discriminatory land use and housing policies, including
residential segregation. PRRAC has compiled a Research & Advocacy Guide
that argues for an affirmative new vision of environmental justice protections,
supported by an annotated bibliography of sources that describe the scope of
environmental racism, its link to housing segregation, and the inadequacy of
current protections to keep all of us healthy and safe, regardless of race or
income.
Read the "Call for Environemental Justice Legislation"
One out of every five grants awarded to Minnesota nonprofits
are from funders outside of the state!
How can your organization be a part of the 20%? At National Foundations: Know Who and How, you'll
learn about who these funders are and how you can have a chance at accessing
their funds.
While acquiring national funding requires an understanding of the national
funding environment and how to create a funding persona that gets you noticed,
you might also be surprised to find out who some of the national players are
funding in Minnesota.
Learn about a wide variety of foundations, including national/international
mega funders, family foundations who have moved out of Minnesota but are still
interested in Minnesota, faith-focused funders, foundations and funders you've
never heard of that fund in Minnesota and SO MANY MORE!
As an added bonus, all workshop attendees will receive a booklet covering 100+
grantmakers!
Learn more and register on Minnesota Council of Non-profit's website!
National
Foundations: Know Who and How
Date:
Friday, September 28
Time:
9 a.m. - noon
Where:
Saint Mary’s University Center
2540 Park Ave., Minneapolis
Fee:
$100 for MCN members / $150 for nonmembers
City of Minneapolis Seeking Public Comment on Small and Medium Multifamily Land Banking Pilot
The
City of Minneapolis is seeking public comment on the proposed Small and
Medium Multifamily Land Banking Pilot (SMMF Pilot). The Land Bank Twin Cities (Land Bank), Local
Initiatives Support Corporation- Twin Cities (LISC), and Family Housing Fund
(FHFund), in partnership with the City of Minneapolis, have developed a Small
and Medium Multifamily Land Banking Pilot Initiative (SMMF Pilot) to help
stabilize 2-49 unit buildings that are occupied by low to moderate income
tenants throughout Minneapolis that are particularly susceptible to market
pressure resulting in property sales, increased evictions and rising rents. The
goal of the program is to remove these properties from the speculative market
and restrict them as affordable for the long-term.
Comments
are due no later than August 20, 2018 and should be addressed to the
attention of Ester Robards: ester.robards@minneapolismn.gov
News
Events
Live on the Drive: AstralBlak
Thurs, July 19, 6-8 p.m.
3400 Vicotry Memorial Pkwy, Minneapolis
Cooperative Learning Series
Wed, July 25, 5:30-8 p.m.
Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center, 2001 Plymouth Ave N., Minneapolis
FLOW: Northside Arts Crawl
Jul 26-28, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
West Broadway, Minneapolis
Opportunities and Barriers to Utility Infrastructure Efficiency
Mon, July 30, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Wilder Foundation 451 Lexington Pkwy, N. Saint Paul
National Foundations: Know Who and How
Fri, Sep 28, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Saint Mary's University Center, 2540 Park Ave., Minneapolis
Jobs
Equity and Inclusion Program Assistant
Metropolitan Council
More Information
Equity and Inclusion Program Specialist
Metropolitan Council
More Information
Diversity and Inclusion Consultant
Minnesota Department of Human Services
More Information
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Promise Zone
Preference Points
If a discretionary funding opportunity indicates Promise Zone
(PZ) preference points are available, please visit http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/promisezone/WCMSP-190631
for additional information on forms and contacts to request preference point
certification from the City of Minneapolis Promise Zone. Please submit your preference point request at least two weeks prior to the application deadline for Promise Zone certification approval consideration.
If a funding
opportunity does not indicate PZ preference points, you are still encouraged to
contact the Promise Zone Manager, Julianne Leerssen
(612-225-7721), about potential partnership opportunities to strengthen your
application.
About the Minneapolis Promise Zone
Promise Zones are federally designated, high poverty communities where the federal government partners with local leaders to increase economic activity, improve educational opportunities, and leverage private investment. The Minneapolis Promise Zone (MPZ) plan is a comprehensive, community-driven revitalization strategy that builds on and aligns numerous initiatives to address the persistent unemployment, crime, housing blight, and poor educational outcomes that affect that area.
Contact information: Juli Leerssen, (612) 225-7721
For more information, please visit www.minneapolismn.gov/promisezone
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