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Links: Regional Resources for Technical Assistance in Housing
Aeon (formerly Central Community Housing Trust) develops affordable housing,
and provides asset management services, and resident connections
and services for low- and moderate-income persons. CCHT also develops
programs and funding, facilitates services and programs, acts as
a liaison for resolution of resident concerns, and builds connections
with residents.
CommonBond Communities is a non-profit developer and manager of affordable housing throughout Minnesota. Its housing communities provide support services for residents to foster self-reliance and economic independence. Persons in search of affordable housing can use CommonBond's housing search form on its web site.
The Family Housing Fund coordinates resources to preserve and provide affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents of the Twin Cities. It provides resources and assistance for both home purchase and rental, including pre-to-post purchase housing assistance and financial support for the development of affordable housing, and subsidies for the production and preservation of affordable rental units. The Family Housing Fund also operates a public education and research program, through which it provides information, educational materials, presentations, and support for research on housing policy.
The Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation (GMHC) works in public/private partnerships with developers and businesses to build affordable housing—often in cooperation with the Minneapolis Community Development Agency (MCDA)—provides pre-development loans for affordable housing projects, and offers technical assistance to the community through its Housing Resource Centers. Three centers located in Minneapolis serve city residents, as well as residents of the northwest suburbs of Brooklyn Center, Crystal, New Hope, and Robbinsdale. The Housing Resource Centers offer programs and services for home purchases and home improvement, including educational courses, down payment and closing cost assistance, energy efficiency information, guides to home improvement loans, and construction process and contractor selection education. The Housing Resource Center also maintains links to web sites with information on home financing and maintenance.
The Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF) provides funding and technical assistance to make affordable housing available throughout Minnesota. GMHF cooperates directly with communities, employers, builders, and public agencies to address housing shortages. It provides funding and technical support for homebuyer programs, including employee assistance programs. GMHF supports neighborhoods by locating gap financing and coordinating professionals to provide community training.
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is the local chapter of the nationwide organization that makes home ownership possible for low-income buyers by building houses with volunteer labor—including the future homeowner—and financing the houses with no-interest mortgages. In addition, Habitat operates programs in support of home ownership, including its Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program (MFPP) to assist homeowners under financial strain. The program provides counseling, advocacy, referrals and—in some cases—direct financial assistance. Habitat's web site includes online publications that provide affordable housing facts and information.
The Home Ownership Center (HOC) provides financial and technical assistance in support of organizations that help low- and moderate-income Minnesotans achieve home ownership. HOC trains and provides information to home buyer counselors, centralizes funding and marketing with neighborhood outreach, provides a liaison between private and public lenders, realtors, and other organizations, and facilitates the distribution of standardized housing information throughout Minnesota. It also provides a Catalog of Services that lists the names and services of organizations that assist with housing issues, including workshops for home buyers, and individual mortgage counseling.
The local office of the federal department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers local HUD program information on such issues as multifamily housing, the Section 8 voucher program, fair housing, and homeless assitance for individuals and providers. Online, the local office of HUD provides information on resources and links to housing counseling, a homebuyer’s kit, HUD-approved housing, online publications, and lists of HUD activities and projects in Minnesota.
HousingLink is an affordable rental housing information web site serving the seven-county metropolitan area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. It focuses its services toward three groups: people looking for housing; people who help others find housing; and people who own or manage housing. HousingLink provides rental housing information including housing information sheets, housing directories, housing events calendars, vacancy and waiting list status reports, and a links library. HousingLink also operates a Housing Referral Service, targeted primarily at Section 8 Voucher holders.
HousingMinnesota represents a growing collaboration of nearly 80 organizations that are committed to increasing affordable housing. It campaigns throughout the state to raise awareness of affordable housing issues, and to build public support for affordable housing policy. HousingMinnesota provides training for "housing organizers," games that illustrate the need for affordable housing, and lists of online publications and housing links.
The Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing (MICAH) organizes religious congregations to, "create resources and policies to build affordable homes and to reduce the barriers to building affordable housing." MICAH has 125 member organizations that represent diverse faith perspectives, and housing and advocacy organizations. MICAH develops housing issue campaigns, and works to create more affordable housing through public policy solutions and legislative action. MICAH's online resources include affordable housing fact sheets, and links.
The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) helps residents of Minnesota buy and rehabilitate homes, and works to preserve a sufficient stock of federally-assisted rental housing. MHFA provides resources, including home loans, assistance with closing costs and down payments, education to prevent foreclosure, and homebuyer training. It also provides information for housing program administrators that, in turn, help others connect with MHFA resources, initiatives, and programs.
The Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP) is an organization of HousingMinnesota that seeks to develop and maintain the supply of affordable housing outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area. It provides assistance including training, policy updates, public education, facilitating/funding planning efforts, and coordinating housing initiatives. MHP also sponsors grants, loans, investment programs, and development support. The Minnesota Housing Partnership maintains funding and consultant directories and a federal housing resource guide for communities.
The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation serves Saint Paul, Minnesota and surrounding communities. The foundation primarily focuses its work on health and human services including, but not limited to, issues of affordable housing. The Wilder Foundation works to make housing available to people with low incomes through skill development opportunities, such as career guidance and child care assistance. It also has a consulting and training group that is a non-profit resource for communities. Online, the Wilder Research Center lists many housing-related publications.
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1 Ralph Rapson Hall, 89 Church Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, |