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Limited-equity co-op opens

Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation has opened the Nokoma, a limited-equity housing cooperative at 1920 Third Ave. So. Designed to create affordable ownership for residents with incomes between $18,000 and $33,960, units in the Nokoma cost $685 to $750 per month, which covers the mortgage, taxes, operating costs (comparable to condo fees) and heat.

The Nokoma represents another important step in the Foundation’s growing capacity to respond with creative solutions to changes in the housing market. For those who are tired of renting but can’t afford a condo or single-family home, a housing cooperative can be the right path to home ownership.

Co-op members buy a share in the corporation that owns the building, which in turn gives them a right to lease an apartment in the building. When they’re ready to move, they sell their share to the next person who will occupy that apartment. Provisions in the cooperative bylaws restrict the amount the share can grow to make sure it stays affordable for future buyers. That way, the Nokoma will provide affordable home ownership opportunities for many years to come.

Units can be viewed by contacting Jennifer Larson at the Foundation at 612/871-0890 or jlarson@plymouthfoundation.org. More information is available at www.theNokoma.com.

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Abbott View reopened

On Sunday, Oct. 4, Plymouth and Westminster Presbyterian celebrated “Housing 150 Day” with the Grand Re-Opening of Abbott View, an historic apartment building in the Stevens Square neighborhood with project-based Section 8 rental assistance.

Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation (PCNF), together with Housing 150, successfully stepped in to preserve these Section 8 units when the tenants feared losing their homes to a threatened condo conversion. This property provides quality affordable housing for a community of long-term tenants with an average income of $8600, many of whom live on fixed incomes because of disabilities.

Abbott View was so named due to its location across from the original Abbott Hospital. The property has 21 units – 18 one-bedroom, two two-bedroom and one studio. Acquisition and redevelopment of the property cost approximately $3 million, with significant rehabilitation, including a new roof, extensive brick work, updating of kitchens and baths and a new community room.

Creekside Commons – a working family collaboration with Mayflower Church

By Lee Blons

Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation is planning a new housing development focused on working families. Creekside Commons will provide 30 units of affordable housing for families of mixed incomes and sizes. Ground was broken on Sept. 20, 2009.

Parents earning around $20,000 to $40,000 will be able to raise their children within walking distance of Minnehaha Creek in the Tangletown neighborhood of Southwest Minneapolis, with excellent access to public transportation. Within this workforce housing development, rent-subsidized housing for six lower- income families who are striving toward economic self-sufficiency will be possible through an innovative partnership with the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority.

This housing development is an exciting new collaborative effort created by the donation of land by Mayflower Community Congregational Church. The single-family home on one of these lots had been used by the Minnesota Council of Churches for housing for newly arriving refugee families. The Council will continue this program through a special set-aside of one of the units in the new development. The vision for the development was created by Mayflower Church members with the technical expertise of the Foundation and our architect, UrbanWorks. Mayflower will remain involved in the project through participation on the governing board and through hands-on volunteer programming.

This pedestrian-friendly design will meet “Green Communities” standards, including underground parking, sustainable materials, “healthy living” paints and adhesives, and energy-efficient lighting and appliances. The development will reduce the amount of land used for surface parking by better utilizing the church parking lot. Creekside Commons will include numerous community amenities, including a community room, computer resource room, patio and playground. Possible volunteer opportunities for church members or neighbors will include English Language Learner classes for refugee and immigrant families, homework tutoring for children, holiday parties and summer picnics.

The Foundation and Mayflower members made presentations at several Tangletown Neighborhood Association meetings from April through September 2007, receiving support both for the development in concept and for rezoning. We’re pleased by the outpouring of support from the broader faith community. TRUST, a coalition of 18 neighborhood churches, has endorsed the development, as has SWING (SouthWest Interfaith Neighborhood Group for Affordable Housing). A number of congregations encouraged their members living in the Tangletown neighborhood to become involved in advocating for the integration of affordable housing in this higher income neighborhood. We’re also grateful for the outspoken support of Mayor R.T. Rybak and County Commissioner Gail Dorfman, who have shared their high regard of the Foundation and encouraged community support for this new housing development.

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