Join us for a workshop bringing together local officials, community leaders, experienced and emerging developers, funders, lenders, housing industry professionals, and other stakeholders to address the challenges and opportunities the Northeast region of Minnesota faces
Gain insights from presentations and guest speakers on innovative solutions and successful housing projects
Network with housing professionals and organizations in the field
Access valuable information on housing funding opportunities, resources, and tools
Learn about emerging trends and policies shaping the future of housing and community development
Collaborate and build partnerships to advance community development efforts
This event will also serve as the capstone to MHP’s 2024 Emerging Developer Initiative (EDI). The EDI cohort has received training, networking, and peer to peer learning over the summer on such topics as project feasibility and design, site assembly and acquisition, development management, and funding. This is an opportunity to meet the current and next generation of community development leaders, learn about their project ideas, and explore potential collaboration opportunities!
For more information contact Donald Googleye, Community Development Manager donald.goggleye[at]mhponline.org.
Starting in the spring of this year, MHP staff began providing community development technical assistance to Buckeye Ridge Habitat for Humanity in Marion, Ohio. This Habitat is a dynamic social service and rural housing nonprofit organization that develops/rehabilitates affordable homes for families in four rural counties of Ohio, just east of the Appalachian Region. In partnership, Buckeye and MHP are determining target communities for affordable housing unit creation, developing a strategic action plan that will include multiple years of development on sites throughout the service area, and identifying funding sources to support the developments. MHP staff are providing tools to enhance project planning, assign resources, and demonstrate project feasibility (like project proformas). MHP is helping Buckeye access funding through multiple sources such as local CDFIs, the Federal Home Loan Bank, and various loan/grant products from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. This project also includes developing a revolving predevelopment funding pool and exploring opportunities to expand Buckeye’s homeownership education and counseling impact across the community. MHP staff are thrilled to be a part of this amazing project!
MHP’s Housing Institute has been bringing communities and housing partners together since 2010. This, the ninth round, is MHP’s broadest Institute to-date, supporting 14 communities in Northeast Minnesota. Local elected and government representatives, small businesspeople, faith-based leaders, nonprofits, regional housing organizations, and more come together at MHP’s peer-to-peer workshops to drive creative housing solutions across the Iron Range and in neighboring communities. The curriculum represents the housing landscape in the Northeast and encourages a data-driven and equitable, inclusive approach.
Over the course of 18-months, teams put together housing initiatives and, with MHP’s support, create action steps to achieve their housing and community development goals. The teams’ projects are now taking shape! In Grand Rapids in July, MHP facilitated a deep dive into the housing development process. Teams explored applicable development strategies and how to identify and overcome barriers in the pre-development phase; including being proactive in land use and zoning and identifying environmental and surveying requirements. Skilled builders and developers provided valuable feedback in real time on the projects.
The workshops identify the true cost of construction, call out the need for subsidy, and showcase successful strategies that have yielded real results within the region. Teams are now teed up to explore the financial components of their projects in October – crucial to a project’s feasibility and maximizing competitiveness for future funding rounds at the state and regional levels.
MHP would like to thank Bob Barth of WSB Engineering, Breanne Rothstein at Thrive LLC, Ben Olsen and the Lagom Modular Team, Dave Bergland at Northland Cooperative Foundation, Brian Wessels and everyone at Intent Built, and Brooke Tapp at One Roof Community Housing for their generous contributions of time and effort that made this workshop so successful.
May 22 • 9am – 4:30pm • Iron Trail Motor Events Center in Virginia, Minnesota
MHP is hosting a dynamic peer-to-peer session to facilitate strategic partnerships and encourage development in the Northeast Region of Minnesota. This all-day collaborative event will focus on the current climate for housing production in the heart of the Iron Range, the Tribal Nations sharing that geography, and surrounding communities. Seeking to build on regional momentum for housing activity, MHP will convene community representatives, builders, developers, and other valuable stakeholders to identify and address development challenges and work together towards practical solutions. Community representatives and stakeholders will have the opportunity to present a development project.
Since 2010, MHP’s Housing Institute model has brought together regionalized housing leaders and stakeholders to share their experiences, learn best practices, and develop creative solutions for bringing quality affordable housing to their communities. MHP has recently concluded the 2022-23 institute cohort which featured 4 teams from southern Minnesota: Janesville, Wabasha, Winnebago, and Winona.
Over the course of the institute the teams convened for five in person workshops that covered key topics; exploring foundational work, effective collaboration, strategic communications, the development process and strategies, and funding and resources. Workshop agendas included a variety of activities such as; a panel of Developers specializing in a variety of building strategies, project presentation opportunities to both funders and developers, one-on-one access to stakeholders, training in developing partner relationships, and much more!
In addition to the in person workshops each team teams received direct technical assistance from a MHP liaison. This relationship was able to help supplement the training workshops, further their projects, and provide individualized support as an adjunct. Learn about some of the highlights from each team:
Janesville:
The Janesville team progressed on developing a housing preservation program and have began the process of developing strategic partnerships with a number of regional community action agencies, and multiple private property owners interested in developing housing within the City. Additionally, staff and team members were able to utilize the institute to make connections outside the region with organizations like the North Country Foundation, who work with manufactured home parks to assist with conversion to resident-owned communities. Finally, the institute provided the Janesville team with the opportunity to complete an updated housing study which will continue to be a critical reference for the team’s work moving forward.
MHP Community Development Officer Harlen Buckalew (left) with the Housing Institute 8 Janesville team.
Wabasha:
The Wabasha team began their work by establishing the WATCH Committee (Wabasha Area Team for our Community’s Housing). This committee will be tasked with collaboratively identifying and pursuing build sites with development potential and began informal but effective community outreach right away. Three potential development projects were scoped by the team for both single-family and multi-family development including a vacant athletic field, lots adjacent to a downtown highway realignment project, and supplemental single-family lots. As a result of the team’s work Minnesota Housing has now identified Wabasha as one of their higher priority places for funding.
As the institute concludes the WATCH team will continue to work with Three Rivers Community Action, a local nonprofit, on developing tax credit funded housing projects, engage with the local Habitat for Humanity branch on smaller project development, and will be holding a community event to meet interested private developers for market rate single family development.
Winnebago:
During the institute the Winnebago Team was able to complete a housing study that will provide localized data and information about the housing landscape. Winnebago was also able to identify opportunities for incentivizing new construction, and will pursue small single family homes and continue to explore modular options to support their aging and low-income community. Finally, with the support of MHP staff the team participated in organizing and hosting a community event promoting and clearly communicating these strategies for addressing increasing home value and an aging housing stock. They reinforced the results of the housing study to increase political support for projects.
Winona:
The Winona team has been pursuing an umbrella housing fund that will help address the housing needs of those facing barriers to traditional housing, especially those at risk of homelessness and recidivism. The team has worked with MHP’s assistance to engage several critical partners, including Hiawatha Valley Social Services, the Winona Community Foundation (WCF), and philanthropic supporters. Though the fund is not yet active, all required groundwork is completed, including the establishment of operating procedures, a governing board, and an administrating partner (WCF).
In addition to the establishment of the new umbrella fund, the Winona team has been able to implement their scattered site supportive housing program, for which they have hired a program manager. This manager will work with partnering organizations to support community members at risk of homelessness and/or recidivism with accessing affordable units. Into the future the Winona team will host a community event to provide information to would-be tenants and landlords whom can participate the scattered site program, ideally resulting in the reservation of additional units.
MHP’s travels recently included Florida, to reconnect with a beneficiary of our technical assistance work, Chipola Area Habitat (CAH). CAH seeks to develop a 9-acre site known as the “Cook Property” for affordable housing, and we worked with them to select an architectural firm to help create a master plan for the site. Fitzgerald Collaborativeout of Tallahassee, a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), was chosen.
While in Marianna, we facilitated a community engagement meeting in the City’s historic Black neighborhood, which has historically faced a lack of investment. More than 20 residents attended alongside representatives from Chipola College, City Commissioner and CAH Board member Travis Ephriam, and State Representative Shane Abbott. During the neighborhood planning presentation, MHP introduced the centuries-old, now-social justice saying “Nothing about us, without us, is for us,” to underscore the need for authentic engagement that is community-driven.
MHP’s community technical assistance model is built around self-determination and locally-identified needs, and our experience informs us that the participation and prioritization of communities impacted by racial and economic disparities is critical to successful community development work.
The lively meeting resulted in the start of a neighborhood revitalization plan for the West End, and identifying community members to participate on a steering committee for the master planning at the Cook Property, as there are many connections between these two parts of the city.
With the steering committee organized and the architectural firm selected, MHP will now assist CAH in the next steps of the master planning process, including completing necessary predevelopment studies for the site. The creation of a new advisory committee made up of Habitat homeowners is also in the works. We look forward to our continued work in Marianna, and to see the fruits of the community’s efforts in new affordable housing!
Does your region or community need help adding affordable housing to your area?
“MHP helped Lower Sioux’s Planning & Grants Department identify a new funder for an upcoming rental construction project. They then sat down with us to teach us how to complete the intensive 15-year feasibility projections and they reviewed our proposal draft. “In the end, we were awarded two grants to build 10 new rental homes at Lower Sioux. We simply couldn’t have done it without MHP’s guidance.”
Nora Murphy, Tribal Planner and Grant Writer for the Lower Sioux Indian Community.
The Lower Sioux Indian Community (LSIC) has a very limited land base (1,743 acres held in federal trust) and a growing population. While housing of all types is needed, planning for the future has been challenging due to limited information on the existing housing stock, housing records that are outdated or incomplete, and the lack of a formal land development plan in place to guide future housing development.
The Tribe has 1,124 enrolled members, 85% of whom live on the reservation and/or within the federally designated 10-mile service area that spans three rural counties in Minnesota (Redwood, Renville, and Brown). While the surrounding rural areas are experiencing significant decreases in population, the Lower Sioux’s Enrollment Department reports that the Tribe has seen its population rise 70% since 2000. Just over one-third are young people under 18 years, and 10% are 60 years or older. According to a community survey, 86% of the community state they would like to see their children and grandchildren continue to live on the reservation or in the service area.
Due to multiple complications beginning in the 1990s, the Lower Sioux Housing Authority identified a persistent challenge to completing the homeownership process for Tribal applicants due to incomplete land and title records. This limits not only the capacity for new homeowners today but also the ability of the Tribe to assign land use for future housing development.
While new procedures have been adopted by the Tribe to better track transactions, there remains an estimated 75% of families and homeowners (116) with incomplete land and title files.
“With our current crew, this was the first housing project we put together. Having MHP’s guidance and knowledge of the process saved us time and potential mistakes. It was nice to have MHP on our side during a process that was unfamiliar and at times intensive.”
Larry Swann, Housing Director, Lower Sioux Indian Community
To address the three challenges of lack of housing, incomplete land use and title records, and the need for additional sustainable Tribal revenue streams, MHP began providing on-site and remote technical assistance to LSIC Housing Authority’s and other department staff in 2019. Accomplishments of the project include:
A needs assessment outlining the priority needs of LISC and surrounding community.
Successfully securing funding for infrastructure, new construction, and rehab (including the creation of an emergency rehab loan program for Tribal members). LSIC’s first-ever application to the Federal Home Loan Bank for construction subsidy for 8 elder units and 2 single-family homes was funded, as was their application to HUD’s competitive IHBG grant application.
Creating site and housing design standards; the final design documents have been completed by architects and engineers for the housing units.
Creating a strategy of utilizing the local production of hemp in a closed-loop system to employ local/regional people in the farming of hemp, production of hemp hurd/hempcrete, and the installation of the products into housing units.
Completing a feasibility report and business plan (aided by funding from MHP’s Rural Capacity Building program). The preliminary feasibility study/report was used to apply and secure $1.5 million in State EDA funds through the State of Minnesota.
Throughout the work, MHP participated as an advisor, supporter, and development team participant, providing the necessary technical assistance to get 10 houses funded!
Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach Project) is a faith-based nonprofit that offers several programs to “meet the physical, spiritual, social, and emotional needs of all the people [they] encounter” including a food shelf and home repair. They are based in Grundy County, which has a poverty rate of 19.1%. They were interested in starting a new construction program for single family homes that could offer replacement homes for very low-income families.
Shortly after MHP began working with Mountain T.O.P., their longtime Executive Director retired, leaving their Program Director in the interim position. Despite the challenges of the loss of the position, the team was able to accomplish several goals including conducting a Housing Needs Assessment for which a housing advisory group was established and still meets today! MHP also helped to draft a business plan for a single family development program using value gap funding from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency and Federal Home Loan Bank’s AHP funds. Included in that document was a template for construction budgets and a list of general contractors building in the area. Finally, the team identified development opportunities with regional partners, such as South East Tennessee Development (SETD), Better Fi, a local CDFI. In April 2022, Mountain T.O.P. held a Housing Summit for the first time, with more than 25 organizations present, including Tennessee Housing.
Does your region or community need help adding affordable housing to your area?
MHP’s Community Development team and the Prince William Sound Economic Development District (PWSEDD) have recently began the process of collaborating with McKinley Research Group—an Alaska-based research firm—to conduct a regional housing needs assessment for the Prince William Sound region. The district includes cities of Cordova, Valdez, and Whittier, and Native Villages of Eyak and Tatitlek. There is a severe shortage of housing in all of the communities of the region, given the specific challenges around topography and accessibility, cost of construction and materials, and lack of developers and contractors. MHP is providing financial support to help offset the cost of the initial Housing Needs Assessment.
“Each community within the Sound truly has their own unique topographic and economic challenges that make housing development and affordability so critical and also even more difficult.” says Erika Brown, Community Development Manager at MHP and project lead “I am excited to be working with each community to identify the best way to engage and involve their residents throughout this process and come up with strategies to address their housing needs that are as unique as each of the communities themselves.”
Once completed, MHP staff will assist regional partners in development of a housing action plan (HAP), with specific strategies to address housing development needs in each community. MHP will provide remote and in-person technical assistance for this planning by creating engagement tools and supporting outreach strategies such as community surveys, stakeholder interviews, and public town halls hosted during the summer of 2023.
MHP is excited to host the regional workshop: Advancing Housing and Community Development in the Northwest Region of Minnesota on June 8, 2023. It will bring together leaders focused on housing solutions for the region and emphasize specific development opportunities in the region.
