Housing for All July Chapter Report

Here's what the Plymouth, Wayzata, and Medina area team of MICAH's HFA Hennepin County Chapter accomplished during the past quarter!

The team continues to work in response to the Plymouth Housing & Redevelopment Authority's (HRA) draft of a Moderate-Income Housing Policy to be submitted to the City Council for adoption. As a result, we have just completed an alternative draft Affordable Housing Policy, which covers low-income housing in addition to moderate-income housing for the HRA to consider.

Since our team members are also board members of the local community-based nonprofit Outreach Development Corporation (ODC), we have been directly involved in the development and management of affordable housing in our communities. Currently, ODC is working with CommonBond Communities to develop 50 units of affordable rental housing on a portion of a vacant property in Medina, owned by ODC. Although this effort wasn't awarded state funding last year, it received a Hennepin County HUD HOME (HOME Investment Partnerships Program) grant this May. An application for state funding will be submitted for this July's competition.

We also continue our work on expanding support for affordable housing in the communities in our area by reaching out to faith communities, other organizations, public officials, and individuals. This effort also includes the development of a communications & outreach strategy.