The new MN Affordable Housing Tax Credit invests $10 million annually to affordable and workforce housing. Passed in 2021, it will go into effect in 2023. It is the only new and on-going investment in housing development from this legislative biennium. MHP led the effort to enact this program and we want to ensure that as Minnesota Housing designs a program that works.

This webinar will help inform comments MHP prepares for Minnesota Housing. Hear from the bill's chief author Senator Carla Nelson; Jennifer Henderson, Planning and Housing Development Director from North Dakota Housing Finance Agency which ran a similar tax credit contribution style program; and Dan Madler from Beyond Shelter who developed multiple projects with ND's program. 

The National Low Income Housing Coalition's “Summer of IDEAS” (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-racism, and Systems-thinking) showcases and amplify stories about the social and economic issues facing marginalized communities in the U.S

The series pairs narrative and new media projects with discussions on topics such as housing disparities, race and poverty, environmental racism, and voter suppression.

• Sunday, July 17, at 3 pm ET: A virtual screening of the film A Reckoning in Boston and a discussion with co-producer Kafi Dixon.
• Thursday, August 4, at 3 pm ET: A virtual discussion about the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City  with author Andrea Elliott, and moderator Melissa Harris-Perry, the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University.

MHP’s Native Community Development Institute supports and strengthens the capacity of Native communities to reach their community development goals through collaborative trainings, peer-to-peer workshops, and customized assistance. The third iteration of the NCDI's cohort features cross-departmental teams from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Flandreau Santee Sioux, Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, and Yankton Sioux Tribes. This August the teams will participate in the last of a series of workshops.

Now in its eighth iteration, the 2022-2023 Housing Institute features four teams from Southeastern Minnesota communities: Janesville, Wabasha, Winnebago, and Winona. Throughout the next year and a half, the teams will pursue a specific project addressing the housing challenges they face. The upcoming July workshop will feature themes of Communication, Inclusivity, and Stakeholder Analysis, with the Keynote Speaker Fatima Said, ProjectFINE's Executive Director to speak on working with diverse communities.

MHP’s Housing Institute closes the gap between the supply of affordable housing and the number of people who need it in rural areas through customized curriculum, guided collaboration, and capacity building for a variety of community stakeholders.

Bottom right: MHP staff Jill Henricksen, Courtney Overby, and Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity’s Executive Director, Carmen Smith in Marianna, Florida.

June was a busy month for MHP's Community Development staff, who traveled to meet with beneficiaries at North Olympic Regional Veteran’s Housing Network (NORVHN) in Forks, Washington, and the Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity in Marianna, Florida. MHP is working with the group in Marianna on a variety of projects, including:

• Generating a housing needs assessment/housing study to determine demand and needs of the housing types, bear of the unit costs, and other risks and opportunities for a donated 9-acre site, near Jackson Hospital
• Developing strategic partnerships among the faith-based community, area hospital, cities, and counties
• Coalescing a homeowners committee for residents of the Habitat housing

Does your community need knowledge in housing, community, and/or organizational development? Looking for collaborations and partnerships to bring affordable housing to your community? To learn more about MHP's Community Development work across the country, contact Barbara Dolan, Deputy Director of Community Development.

Community Development Director

This position will provide strategic leadership, financial planning and marketing, and operational planning and leadership to MHP’s Community Development Team. Community Development department works directly with communities, regions, and organizations to achieve the community’s current and future housing and development goals. Most of the work is in rural America, and over three-fourths are outside the state of Minnesota. Full job description here.

Community Development Manager

This position will lead capacity building work plans, facilitate Housing and Native Institute teams, and coordinate the work of other staff, sub-recipients, and contractors in order to advance economic, community, and affordable housing development for rural and Native Communities. Full job description here.

MHP is committed to social, racial, gender, and economic justice and strongly encourages women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and individuals who identify as BIPOC or LGBTQ to apply. We will begin reviewing applications August 15, 2022.

RFP: Statewide Housing Campaign

MHP is excited to launch a multi-year statewide housing campaign in 2022. As part of this campaign, MHP seeks consulting services for three areas of work: Narrative and Messaging; Campaign Strategy and Design; and Marketing Collateral. Respondents may apply for all or part of the scope of work components. Click here for details on the RFP and how to apply: https://mhponline.org/mhp-to-launch-a-multi-year-housing-campaign-request-for-proposals/

This campaign seeks to change the hearts and minds of people throughout the state about housing—dispel myths and stereotypes about who needs and lives in affordable homes and promote understanding about how housing affects our ability to succeed and thrive – in order to ultimately achieve legislative victories for housing at the state legislature. RFP Response Deadline: Thursday, July 14, 2022, end of business (5:00 pm). Send all responses via email to [email protected].

Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) has released new research that finds emergency rental assistance (ERA) provides short-term benefits beyond housing stability for recipients, including improved financial well-being and better mental health. The report finds that ERA recipients are less likely to self-report current rental arrears, borrowing from friends or family to meet household expenses, food insecurity, or poor mental health.

Up for Growth's Housing Underproduction in the U.S. 2022 is a first-of-its-kind longitudinal study tracking nationwide housing underproduction by state and across 814 metropolitan and non-metropolitan units of geography – the most detailed analysis of America’s housing shortage ever produced. 

“Creating and sustaining thriving communities is only possible when everyone has a stable home. We are far from that goal, especially for people most impacted by racial and economic disparities created from centuries of discriminatory public policies. This report outlines how policymakers across the country can take action to create opportunity―to produce homes for everyone in our communities. The compelling benefits outlined in this report should be in every policymaker's toolbox for moving these policies forward.” Anne Mavity, MHP Executive Director, press release for Housing Underproduction in the US 2022.

Minnesota Housing's Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) describes how Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (HTC) are distributed to multifamily rental projects. The QAP combines state and federally legislated requirements as well as priorities from Minnesota Housing's Strategic Plan. On June 29, 2022, MHP submitted comments to Minnesota Housing's 2024-25 Qualified Action Plan (QAP). 

Chances for a special session to provide billions in tax cuts and additional spending are likely dead. Last week, Governor Walz told reporters that he had reached an impasse with legislative leaders on a special session agreement. Senate Majority Leader Miller blames Democrats for wanting to spend too much money while House Speaker Hortman says Senate Republicans are uninterested in finalizing the global agreement deal that was reached in the regular session.    

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