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Homeless youth
housing planned

Housing for homeless youth is being planned for 3700 Nicollet Ave. by the Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation in a joint project with Westminster Presbyterian.

Construction of a new, three-story development of 42 housing units and neighborhood-oriented retail (a coffee shop, for example) will replace the vacant funeral home and large surface parking lot. The new housing will provide studio apartments, each with a bathroom and kitchenette, at modest rents for youth and young adults.

The housing will be enriched with services to assist the youth and young adults transitioning from homelessness or foster care. The services will include independent living skills programs such as budgeting, tenant responsibilities, nutritional cooking and healthy life choices. The residents will also have the opportunity to develop individual plans focused on their education and employment goals and to have assistance in reaching those goals.

The retail component will provide youth with immediate access to jobs to gain employment skills and history.

Foundation gets
$5 million award

The Plymouth Church Neighborhood
Foundation was awarded $5 million by
the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency for the 3700 Nicollet Ave. project (see story and drawing above). This new, three-story development of 42 studio apartments and neighborhood-oriented retail will create needed permanent housing for young adults and youth between the ages of 16 and 22 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. An operating subsidy of $550,000 was also awarded to ensure the long-term affordability of the units at $205 per month.

The project is made possible by Plymouth and Westminster Presbyterian Sesquicentennial Campaign contributions which allowed Housing 150-Nicollet to acquire the land in September. This development will require the total inversion of $7.3 million for land acquisition and construction. An additional $1 million in capital was allocated by the city.

Supportive services for the youth will focus on independent living skills, education and employment. The retail component will be geared toward providing immediate access to employment and training. Funding to underwrite the cost of these supportive services will be sought from Hennepin County.

–Jenny Mason

Abbott View was first Housing 150 initiative

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.

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.

The City of Minneapolis approved our request for a rezoning of the site on Dec. 21. The Foundation has also begun the funding application process, receiving $1.8 million in a tax credit award from the City. We'll continue our work to secure all of the necessary financing to begin construction by late 2009.