The Council invests in the vitality of communities in the region. We award grants to communities through our Livable Communities program.
Livable Communities Program
The Council awards grants to cities, counties and their development authorities through the Livability Communities program. These grants, funded by property taxes and the Council's general fund, help clean up polluted sites for redevelopment, expand affordable housing opportunities and build pedestrian-friendly and transit-oriented developments.
The program is a voluntary, incentive-based approach to help communities grow and redevelop, and to address the region’s affordable and lifecycle housing needs. The program was established in 1995 by the state Livable Communities Act (LCA).
To compete for LCA funding, communities must negotiate long-term affordable and lifecycle housing goals with the Council and develop a Housing Action Plan. Currently, 94 communities are participating in the program. The LCA’s emphasis is on cooperation and incentives to achieve regional and local goals. Communities are well-positioned to make decisions about how their cities and towns will grow and develop, but the LCA recognizes it often takes partnerships and shared resources to move from community plans to tangible results.
More about the Livable Communities grant programs
The Community Tree Planting Grants provide funding to cities, townships, counties, and regional park implementing agencies for projects that improve the region’s tree canopy, as established in Minn. Stat. § 473.355.
Community Tree Planting Grants
New in 2025, the Council is awarding funding to communities to improve their tree canopies on public land. These grants, funded by the State of Minnesota, support projects planting trees for environmental benefits, removing and replacing ash trees, and increasing canopy diversity and resilience.
More about the Community Tree Planting grant program