The Metropolitan Council in January awarded $2.5 million in Livable Communities grants to help four communities build and rehabilitate apartments affordable to lower-income households. Communities awarded funding from the Local Housing Incentives program include Bloomington, Medina, Minneapolis, and Richfield. These communities are required to provide a 100% match to the funding provided by the Met Council. The four proposed multifamily projects will create or preserve a total of 199 units, 63 of which are affordable to households earning 30% of area median income (AMI) or lower; 45 units at 31%-50% AMI; and 91 units at 51%-60% AMI. “We applaud communities who are providing deeply affordable housing to their residents,” said Lisa Barajas, director of the Met Council’s Community Development division. “While these units represent a small fraction of the overall number this region needs to house our lower-income population, every step of progress we make is important. These units are critical for family stability and the opportunity to thrive.” Under state law, communities are required to plan their share of the region’s affordable housing need. This share is proportional to a city’s overall forecasted growth, their existing affordable housing stock, and the ratio of low-wage jobs to low-wage-earning residents. Projects include units for people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness Projects awarded grants are summarized below: Southview Estates, Bloomington. The $700,000 grant will support substantial rehabilitation of a 47-unit building focused on large families, families with children, high-priority homeless individuals, and persons with disabilities. The project is preserving 37 units of affordable housing and will add affordability limits to another 10 units. All units will be affordable to households with 60% area median income (AMI) or below. Melrose Commons, Medina. The $450,000 grant will support construction of a 50-unit apartment building with a mix of 12 one-bedroom, 20 two-bedroom, 12 three-bedroom, and 6 four-bedroom units. Of the 50 units, 15 will be designated supportive housing for 7 high-priority homeless individuals and 8 units for persons with disabilities. All units will be affordable to households with 60% AMI or below. The Warren Apartments, Minneapolis. The $500,000 grant will support new construction of 61 units of housing, 60 of which will be affordable to households earning 50% AMI or lower. The apartments will be a mix of one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom units, with 15 set aside for permanent supportive housing – 8 for high-priority homeless individuals and 7 for persons with disabilities. Penn Station, Richfield. The $850,000 grant will support construction of a 42-unit housing development affordable to households earning 60% AMI or lower. Seven units will be set aside for high-priority homeless individuals and six for people with disabilities. The project will include an onsite play area for children and ground-floor amenities including onsite management, a fitness center, and a community room. Consolidated application process reduces local effort The grants will leverage many millions in private investments and other public investments to provide safe and affordable homes. They are part of a pool of funding with other partners to support a broader set of housing preservation and development projects regionwide. Communities apply for funding through a consolidated process with Minnesota Housing and other partners. Applications forwarded to the Met Council are judged competitively on criteria including creation or preservation of deeply affordable housing (serving households earning 30% of AMI or lower), larger units serving families, new housing types, and whether the projects meet the needs of residents experiencing homelessness. To be eligible and compete for Livable Communities funding, metro area cities must participate in the Livable Communities program. 77 cities and 1 township are participating in the Livable Communities program in 2025. Posted In: Housing