The Metropolitan Council has upped the amount available this year from the Livable Communities fund focused on affordable housing to $8 million in 2021. That’s the highest funding since the Legislature established the program in 1995.
59 metro area communities participate in the Livable Communities program and are eligible to apply for funds. Livable Communities Manager Tara Beard says adding $4 million to the 2021 Local Housing Incentives Account will support their efforts to provide a range of housing choices.
“The region faces a critical shortage of affordable housing, and a shortage of housing in general,” said Beard. “This particular account in the Livable Communities Fund makes resources available for Council grants to local projects that create or preserve housing that’s affordable.”
“The focus of this funding is on housing that is deeply affordable, larger family units, and supportive housing for households experiencing homelessness,” she said.
Advancing racial equity and prosperity in the region
Beard said the additional funds will support local housing initiatives that advance racial equity and expand housing options throughout the region.
“The funding is one of a number of strategies the Council has adopted to reduce disparities that hinder economic growth,” said Beard. “Closing gaps in labor force participation, housing opportunities, unemployment, and income, for example, will be essential to the region’s livability, affordability, and prosperity.”
In addition to affordable housing initiatives, the Livable Communities program also supports:
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Development that promotes mixed-use and connected land uses linking housing, jobs, and services
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Brownfield or polluted-site cleanup
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Transit-oriented development
More information on the Local Housing Incentives Account