? Peris needs funding from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (success!)

Posted on by Neighbors for More Neighbors

Preliminary project rendering

Congratulations! The meeting today was a success for the Peris, which will receive a small amount of money from the residual funds left in the AHTF after all projects are awarded ($87k), a staff directive was passed by CM Frey to find another $500k by Q1 of 2018, which would likely then be awarded to the Peris— with a deadline of December 1st to report on sources. This means all available $8.9 mil was allocated to affordable housing this year. This is not enough, but the noise we made ensures that the city knows we’re listening, and knows about the need to fund more affordable housing in all parts of our city.

Thanks to everyone for the support, and getting the word out on this! You did it! ?

Here’s our previous plea for help:

Skip below if you’re just looking for how to email. Email before Tuesday, and if you can, show up to city hall at 1:15 on Tuesday.

The proposed Peris development could be coming to Lowry Hill soon, if it secures some funding from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. It is an affordable housing development proposed at 1930 Hennepin Avenue, for kids aging out of foster care, it will contain 41 units of affordable housing: 26 apartments (for people below 50% AMI), and 15 units to serve as extended foster care.

Peris will be in a transit-rich, walkable neighborhood close to jobs, universities: providing many opportunities for young people exiting foster care. The location has seen numerous restaurants come and go in a relatively short time, and it is graced with a beautiful surface lot: it is clear Peris will be a gorgeous and useful addition to the neighborhood.

It has faced opposition in presentations with the neighborhood org, from area homeowners who are concerned about typical unfounded issues like crime and traffic. Lowry Hill does not currently have any affordable housing to speak of, there is nothing qualifying for low-income housing tax credit west of Hennepin.

Whether Peris gets funding from the AHTF will be up for decision on Tuesday, but there are complications. In a staff report, Peris scored higher than 4 of the 9 projects recommended for funding, but it has not been recommended for funding. Peris is asking for a loan of $650,000

Further, it is suspicious that the chair of the committee is also the CM for this ward (ward 7), having a history of behind the scenes work to derail projects she disagrees with; and that this project was not recommended.

We must help.

UPDATE (Oct. 23): Some of us are hearing back from CM Frey, saying that AHTF pipeline awards over the course of the year mean that only $8.9 million is available to award right now: not the total of $10 million. It’s clear that transparency around the total available at any given point is lacking. There were $18 million in requests, and of that $8.9 million is available for new affordable housing: not enough by a long shot.

Talking points

  • We are in a housing shortage.
  • Peris has scored higher than 4 of 9 projects recommended for funding.
  • There is still money left to allocate: the current proposals for fund allocation total up to $8.8 million, and the AHTF is funded with $10 million annually. We can fund the recommended projects, as well as Peris, which only requires $650,000.
  • The application map shows that removing this proposal would remove one affordable housing project in an area outside of areas of concentrated poverty, and in an area where there is no such housing yet. We need affordable projects in all parts of our city.
  • Lowry Hill should take its fair share of affordable housing.

If you want to email

Contact all the members of the Community Development & Regulatory Services board, and include your own council member.

Subject: Public comment on 2017 Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) project recommendations

Here’s a handy mailto link that will autopopulate the above addresses and subject. You will still need to add your CM.

Minneapolis City Council members emails are below. Here’s a ward map.

Ward 1: Kevin Reich — Kevin.Reich@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2201
Ward 2: Cam Gordon — Cam.Gordon@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2202
Ward 3: Jacob Frey — Jacob.Frey@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2203
Ward 4: Barb Johnson — Barbara.Johnson@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2204
Ward 5: Blong Yang — Blong.Yang@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2205
Ward 6: Abdi Warsame — Abdi.Warsame@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2206
Ward 7: Lisa Goodman — Lisa.Goodman@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2207
Ward 8: Elizabeth Glidden — Elizabeth.Glidden@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2208
Ward 9: Alondra Cano — Alondra.Cano@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2209
Ward 10: Lisa Bender — Lisa.Bender@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2210
Ward 11: John Quincy — John.Quincy@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2211
Ward 12: Andrew Johnson — Andrew.Johnson@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2212
Ward 13: Linea Palmisano — Linea.Palmisano@minneapolismn.gov — (612) 673–2213

If you want to show up to the hearing

The hearing is at City Hall in Downtown Minneapolis, at 1:30 on Tuesday, Oct. 24th in room 317. Show up early. Graves Foundation is asking supporters to meet in the City Hall rotunda at 1:15 in advance of the meeting.

The item is currently on the consent agenda, which means there will be no public comment at committee meeting, so you should also submit an email. A physical presence would be great, to witness what goes down.

Miscellany

For a more detailed history on the project check out these posts:

Project Info from the city: