Author: resi

As developers try to capitalize on a hot rental market, the city of Richfield is trying to determine how far its authority extends in protecting low-income tenants.

On behalf of The Village, LLC and Continental Property Group LLC, Lowry Grove Partnership, LLP, Aeon, Antonia Alvarez, The Lowry Grove Residents Association, Ned Moore, and La Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, the Parties have reached a global resolution that is intended to not only resolve the litigation but to also provide a positive impact to the broader community. While the terms of the settlement agreement are generally confidential, it does require the City of St. Anthony to approve the agreed-upon development, and the Parties found it important to share certain aspects with the public.

The settlement is the result of the Parties’ willingness to look beyond the areas of disagreement and consider all available alternatives. As the process evolved, the Parties were able to find points of commonality and build a settlement from those points. The Parties believe that the settlement is a fair, well-crafted and thoughtful resolution that balances the needs of all involved, including the City and the broader community, and will help the City, the residents and the community move forward. We believe and hope that this settlement is a critical step in the healing that the City and the community require.

The Village has always been committed to including affordable housing in its redevelopment, a commitment that was central to the former owner’s decision to sell the property to The Village. Recognizing that all Parties desire to see affordable housing in the redevelopment, The Village has agreed to use Aeon as the affordable housing developer in this matter. Practically, that means that The Village will sell 2.1 acres of the overall project to Aeon, who plans to construct 110 units of affordable housing including units designed to providing housing to those with the greatest financial hurdles. The Village, the Residents Association and Aeon have agreed to work with the City and public funders and lenders to help make the affordable housing happen in a way that makes it as affordable as possible and integrates appropriately with the rest of the development and the community. The Settlement Agreement provides the now former Lowry Grove Manufactured Home Park residents the ability to return and live in St. Anthony Village in any of the housing on the overall site, as is applicable and workable for them financially and otherwise.

Another important part of this agreement is that it provides additional assistance to the former Lowry Grove residents. The Village has agreed to make a six-figure donation to start a charitable fund called the Lowry Grove Resident Support Housing Fund. The Fund will be managed by a separate group agreed upon by all Parties. The Fund and its administration will be guided by principles and a process to be developed by the resident association, the Housing Justice Center, Faegre, Baker Daniels and Aeon.

With a few updates to The Village’s applications, the Parties recognize and agree that the proposed development is the path to effectuate these common goals. The Parties will be working with the City to discuss the revised development plans and to reach a shared vision for the entire project. We all look forward to presenting the joint vision beginning at the Public Hearing on August 28, 2017. The Parties look forward to working with the City on those provisions of the Settlement Agreement that require City approval such as TIF financing and zoning and project approvals and to help make the 110 affordable apartments happen and be as affordable as possible.

The Parties are pleased to have this litigation behind them, look forward to making the positive things contemplated by the settlement happen and except as agreed to by the parties, will have nothing further to say about the specific case or the settlement agreement except what has already been approved by the Parties.

Two apartment complexes in Richfield tell the story of one way local governments are trying to maintain the region’s supply of privately owned affordable housing.

Artist homes, green buildings, and other ways cities and nonprofits are opening doors to attainable homes

For more information, contact: Owen Truesdell, (612) 802-2240; [email protected]

Minneapolis – Alan Arthur CEO of Aeon, nonprofit developer, owner and manager of affordable housing in the Twin Cities, issued the following statement regarding the introduction of the introduction of the Frank Adelmann Manufactured Housing Community Sustainability Act by Congressman Keith Ellison (DFL – MN):

“We are very encouraged to see action being taken in Washington to support the residents of manufactured housing in Minnesota and across the country. The families and communities that rely on manufactured housing deserve the chance to own their own destinies and this legislation would provide incentives for park owners to make that a reality. Aeon is grateful to Congressman Ellison for his leadership on this issue and we hope to see it advance in Congress. The crisis in affordable housing in the Twin Cities, and in thousands of other communities, hits low-income communities the hardest and this would be a step in the right direction to support them.”

About Aeon

Aeon is a responsive nonprofit developer, owner and manager of high-quality affordable apartments and townhomes which serve more than 5,000 people annually in the Twin Cities area. For more than 30 years, Aeon has been committed to helping people create a home in a safe, secure environment and connect to the community around them. We believe that Home changes everything. For more information, visit aeon.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

As many as 100 million U.S. adults – or nearly one-third of the population – have a criminal record of some sort. Since 2004, an average of more than 650,000 individuals have been released annually from federal and state prisons, and more than 95 percent of current inmates will be released at some point.

The Lowry Grove manufactured housing park in St. Anthony was closed last year for redevelopment, displacing the hundreds of people who lived there. Now, a University of Minnesota researcher is working to document what happened to them.

Hennepin County has chosen 16 projects within its borders for grants fostering transit-oriented development and affordable housing.