Posted In: Housing Date: 2/16/2024 Met Council action expands affordable housing choices This month, the Met Council expanded affordable housing choices for households earning 50% of area median income or less in five suburban metro communities. Read more
Posted In: Date: 1/27/2023 Pilot grants aim to expand affordable homeownership choices Benefitting local governments include Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Chaska, Golden Valley, Minneapolis, Roseville, Richfield, and Anoka, Ramsey, and Washington counties. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 11/23/2022 Study to measure the cost of the affordable housing gap Many cities are facing an affordable housing crisis, and it’s impacting renters and potential homeowners the most. Read more
Posted In: Transportation Date: 10/24/2022 Housing voucher holders face difficulty finding rental units Despite a healthy 5.8% overall vacancy rate for rental housing in the region, tenants continue to struggle to secure housing. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 10/25/2021 Housing mobility program connects low-income families with opportunity Our Community Choice Program is helping low-income families prosper in a new home and neighborhood, where they feel safer more supported, and better able to reach their goals. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 9/23/2021 Housing production is strong, but not for those in greatest need There are things the Met Council can do to, such as targeting more of its available funds to families with earnings of $31,000 or less. But that represents a drop in the bucket. Read more
Posted In: Date: 7/29/2021 Met Council approves more funding for affordable housing grants $8 million is the highest funding amount since the Legislature established the program in 1995. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 5/19/2021 New emergency vouchers mean “home” to more people and families Under the American Rescue Plan of 2021, Metro HRA, will receive 218 new emergency vouchers to help connect people experiencing homelessness to housing and housing stability. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 5/6/2021 Solar-for-Vouchers program expanded to Minneapolis and Saint Paul The program offers technical assistance to residential property owners who want to install solar panels on their buildings. Property owners agree to rent to Section 8 Housing Choice voucher holders. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 5/5/2021 Place matters: Federal funds help low-income families move to areas of their choice HUD awarded Metro HRA and the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority $5.2 million and 74 new vouchers to promote increased housing choices and opportunities among low-income families. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 2/8/2021 Met Council and Edina partner on affordable housing Edina will purchase single-family homes, make sure they’re up to code, and then lease them to us. We will rent the homes to lower-income working families and oversee the day-to-day management. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 5/28/2020 Council seeks proposals for project-based housing vouchers Metro HRA is seeking to expand the number of rental units that households with low incomes can afford by awarding 200 additional project-based housing vouchers. Read more
Posted In: Housing, Transportation Date: 2/18/2020 Housing/transit collaboration wins national award Metro HRA and the Metro Transit Police combined their expertise to meet the difficult challenge of connecting people who are homeless with housing and support services. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 1/28/2020 Minneapolis and Met Council housing authorities form nation’s first regional “Moving to Work” housing agency The two housing authorities will combine resources and regulatory flexibility to increase housing choice for low-income renters. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Council News, Housing, Transportation Date: 12/19/2019 Council commits $1 million to reduce homelessness The Metropolitan Council has committed 1 million dollars to a new winter homeless initiative announced by Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan on Dec. 19. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 12/11/2019 Council grants help create, preserve affordable housing 254 new affordable rental and ownership housing units will be built, and 48 existing units will be rehabilitated and preserved, with the support of $2.5 million in grants. Read more
Posted In: Housing, Transportation Date: 12/6/2019 A fresh beginning for a Twin Cities family Metro Transit's Homeless Action Team connected Octavia and her son with our Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 11/22/2019 Metro HRA awarded new vouchers to combat homelessness Hundreds more people who have disabilities and are experiencing homelessness will be able to find safe, affordable housing in the metro area. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Housing Date: 11/13/2019 Council awards $1.4 million to promote affordable homes near transit The grants support moderate- to high-density development near transit that is more affordable and walkable, fosters mobility, and encourages transit ridership. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 9/25/2019 Council approves minimum rent, inspection changes for housing voucher program Charging a minimum rent is one step toward addressing a Metro HRA operating deficit. In addition, the change will prevent the agency from having to further reduce the number of households it serves. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 8/19/2019 Metro HRA considers minimum rent requirement, biennial inspections, measures related to homelessness The 5-year plan identifies key goals that the agency will be working to achieve during the next several years. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 8/5/2019 Former mayor connects the dots between where people work and where they live Mike Webb learned, firsthand, the need for homes that are affordable to working people. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 6/24/2019 More than 17,000 households apply for Metro HRA waiting list When the state’s three largest housing authorities opened their waiting lists, they knew the demand would be high. Metro HRA will place 2,000 on its list, Minneapolis 2,000, and St. Paul 3,500. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 6/12/2019 Park Plaza Cooperative: A resident-owned manufactured home park One community's answer to affordable housing. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 6/5/2019 Council, Minneapolis, St. Paul housing waiting lists open through June 18 at noon The waiting lists are now closed. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 5/13/2019 Metro HRA achieves highest ranking This is Metro HRA’s 15th straight year earning the Section Eight Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) ranking of High Performer. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 3/21/2019 Tenant and landlord: Marjorie and Mike have a connection Mike Pikovsky takes a lot of pride in the homes he owns as rental properties. Among his tenants are families who rely on federal rent assistance for a place to live and call home. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 2/5/2019 Report: Region has likely lost more affordable housing than it produced since 2011 A new Met Council Research report says the seven-county area is losing ground when it comes to meeting the housing needs of working families. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 11/19/2018 Metropolitan Council approves $2.5 million in grants to support affordable housing Grants will help create and preserve more than 250 affordable homes and leverage $82 million in other public and private investment. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Housing, Planning Date: 6/11/2018 Region needs more housing; residential construction is not keeping pace with household growth Multifamily development remains robust. Construction of affordable housing is especially slow. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Housing, Planning Date: 12/1/2017 Council awards funds for affordable housing Council Chair says affordable housing is critical to ensure regional growth and prosperity. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Housing, Planning Date: 11/22/2017 Partnerships that connect families with housing they can afford Partnerships are key for the Council, through its Housing and Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA), to provide thousands of metro-area households with federal rent assistance. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Housing, Planning Date: 11/16/2017 A Step Forward: the region’s 2016 affordable housing production The primary form of new affordable housing continues to be multifamily apartment buildings. In 2016, 94% of affordable units were renter-occupied. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Housing, Planning, Wastewater & Water Date: 9/15/2017 Grant helps preserve affordable housing in manufactured home park The first-of-its-kind pilot grant of $234,83 will cover half of the cost of connecting homes in the Maple Hill Estates manufactured home park to the regional wastewater system. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Council News, Housing Date: 8/2/2017 Metro HRA’s new ombudsman helps people navigate rental process The Metropolitan Council’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA) recently hired Abdiaziz Ibrahim as its first outreach coordinator and program ombudsman. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Housing, Planning Date: 6/7/2017 Strong residential construction in the region in 2016 New Council report indicates robust home building in the region in 2016, with multifamily housing leading the way. Read more
Posted In: Housing Date: 1/19/2017 Council helps families move to communities of high opportunity Shaneka Greer feels blessed. Thanks to the Metropolitan Council’s Community Choice program, she is living in a well-maintained apartment in a safe neighborhood with a good school for her daughter. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Housing Date: 6/8/2016 Manufactured housing—very affordable but future uncertain Manufactured housing—often called “mobile homes”—is a valuable source of housing for very low- and extremely low-income households. But its future is at risk. Read more
Posted In: Communities, Housing Date: 7/23/2015 Amendment to regional housing plan lends guidance on affordable housing need When the 2040 Housing Policy Plan was adopted in December 2014, the Council indicated it would amend the plan in 2015 to include additional information. The Council approved the amendment in July. Read more