15 development projects will create and preserve nearly 2,000 affordable homes The Metropolitan Council has awarded a total of $15.75 million in grants to 15 development and redevelopment projects across 10 cities in the 7-county metro region. The projects connect housing, jobs, transit, and services to increase community livability. The projects are expected to: Create 1,672 new housing units affordable to households earning 80% of area median income (AMI) or lower. Preserve 306 existing affordable units. Create 484 units of market-rate housing. In addition, the projects will create or preserve 931 permanent, full-time jobs and 38 part-time jobs, including 817 living-wage jobs with benefits. The 11 Livable Communities grant recipients include Apple Valley, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Columbia Heights, Cottage Grove, Falcon Heights, Hopkins, Little Canada, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the Saint Paul Port Authority. Helping to fill a gap in deeply affordable housing “We know that families across the Twin Cities are finding it harder than ever to afford a place to call home,” said Sarah Berke, Met Council senior manager for Housing and Livable Communities. “The financing to build and preserve affordable housing is extremely complex and relies on many partners. We applaud communities that work with developers to create much-needed housing so people can afford to live in the cities where they work.” The affordability distribution of the new affordable housing is as follows: 300 units affordable to households earning up to 30% AMI (about $39,700 annually for a family of four, or a $19/hour full-time job). 355 units affordable to households earning between 31% and 50% AMI ($39,701 to $66,200 annually) 1,017 units affordable to households earning between 51% and 80% AMI ($66,201 to $104,200 annually). See profiles of all the awarded projects. The Livable Communities Demonstration Account (LCDA) supports development and redevelopment projects that link housing, jobs, and services and use community and regional infrastructure efficiently. The Transit Oriented Development (TOD) grants are focused on high density projects that contribute to a mix of uses in the TOD-eligible area. In the 2025 grant round, the Met Council received 24 applications from 13 cities requesting $33.1 million, more than twice the funding available. LCDA and LCDA-TOD applications undergo a rigorous review process conducted by a review panel of both an internal staff team and the Livable Communities Advisory Committee (LCAC), an external panel of professionals and content experts. The available funding is distributed to the highest-scoring eligible projects within established geographic and award limits. More about the Livable Communities program and funding for 2026. Posted In: Housing