Congregational Organizers: Jodi Nelson (South), Renee Lundgren (Mpls, North, West)

Concerns over low-income housing continue Friday, 25 July 2008

by Andrew Miller

Thisweek Newspapers

A low-income and senior housing proposal has been eliciting fears and concerns from some residents in Apple Valley's Cobblestone Lake neighborhood.

The Dakota County Community Development Agency has proposed two projects: Cobblestone Lake Senior Apartments, a 60-unit senior apartment building at 157th Street West and Cobblestone Lake Parkway, and Apple Valley East Townhomes, a 45-unit low-income townhome complex at Pilot Knob Road and 155th Street West.

The CDA hosted a neighborhood meeting Monday to discuss the planned projects.

The meeting was held at Orchard Square, a senior-apartment complex in Apple Valley operated by the CDA. About 50 residents attended the meeting, which included an overview of CDA's tenant-screening and property-management policies.

The meeting was the second in as many weeks about the CDA housing proposal - a public hearing was held July 17 at the Apple Valley Planning Commission meeting - and residents expressed many of the same concerns on Monday: that crime will rise and property values will plummet if the low-income townhomes are built.

Kurt Keena, the CDA's property management director, explained that the CDA manages its own properties, employing its own property managers and maintenance technicians, and has an on-site caretaker at each housing complex.

"We do all this because we want our properties and our buildings to be assets to their communities," Keena said.

Applicants for low-income housing are screened for criminal history, as well as credit and rental history, Keena said. About 40 percent of applicants are denied residence because of the background checks.

Keena said recertification for CDA housing, which includes checks for income eligibility and lease compliance, is done annually - which means "problem" tenants don't get their leases renewed.

Criminal behavior such as drug activity is dealt with immediately - the CDA doesn't wait for the annual lease renewal in those situations, he added.

Convicted sexual offenders are not eligible for CDA housing, CDA officials said.

The low-income and senior housing proposal for the Cobblestone Lake area is the second such CDA proposal reviewed by the city this year.

In January, the City Council rejected a CDA proposal for a 60-unit senior housing apartment building and a 31-unit low-income townhome complex adjoining Midtown Village on 145th Street West and Flagstaff Avenue.

The City Council voted 4-0 against that project, citing incompatibility with neighboring developments and zoning issues. But council members did express a desire to add low-income and senior housing elsewhere in the city.

Residents can still express their opinions on the proposed CDA housing projects A public hearing about the low-income and senior housing developments in the Cobblestone Lake area has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug 6, at the Apple Valley Planning Commission meeting at City Hail, 7100 147th St W.

Did you know?

“Officials with the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority say they expect more than 15,000 people to apply for Section 8 housing vouchers (low income housing) Thursday and Friday, June 12 & 13, 2008. People are applying for housing for the first time in five years, but housing authority officials say there's little chance anyone applying today will get a voucher this year. That's because there's still a waiting list that includes people who applied 10 years ago.” ~ MPR, Brandt Williams, June 12, 2008

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Congregational Organizers: John Slade (Ramsey, NE) and Cheryl Wilson (OPAAC)

     28% of homeless adults are working. Of those, 43% are working full time. (Wilder Research 2006)

THE GOOD NEWS: More than 4371 families have an affordable home because MICAH leaders spoke up in support of affordable housing!

Your financial contribution to MICAH TODAY will allow MORE voices to speak up in support of affordable housing in the Twin Cities.

A gift of $100 supports two months of Chapter Meetings in YOUR community.

A gift of $250 supports keeping nearly 2000 community members informed about critical MICAH issues via email newsletters.

A gift of $500 supports organizing YOU and YOUR community leaders to cause change at city council and city hall to remove barriers to building MORE affordable housing. 

IMPORTANT:

Your financial gifts of ANY size will be MATCHED by The McKnight Foundation! 

To ensure MORE families, especially children have a safe, affordable home, please make your gift TODAY.  Click on DONATE at the top of this page.

MICAH mission: MICAH envisions a metropolitan area where everyone without exception has a safe, decent and affordable home." 

At MICAH we believe in the power of the many -- organizing to achieve the shared vision of safe, decent affordable homes for all.

MICAH’s FOCUS 2008

• Chapters are working on affordable housing development along the Central Corridor transit line.
• May 13, in the White Bear Lake City Council Meeting, the Council voted unanimously to support affordable housing! Although this is one step in twenty what we know is that the City is starting out in the right place, because of the groundwork that MICAH and our Leaders have laid.
• We continue our organizing work on local Comprehensive Land Use Plans across the greater Twin Cities.
• MICAH has and continues to provide significant staff support to the Housing Solutions Alliance, the statewide coalition that supports the Housing Solutions Act.
• An affordable housing development for seniors and families failed in Apple Valley. Efforts to build community support are underway. 
• The main goal for each Chapter is base building & growth.

At MICAH our most important function is to make possible the empowerment of many by growing the numbers of leaders for action and growing the number of congregations committed to affordable housing. 

Please join us TODAY with a financial contribution of $100 or more to ensure MORE children, and parents and elders in our community have MORE voices working on their behalf to have a safe, affordable place to live. Click on DONATE at the top of this page or send your contribution to:

MICAH
122 Franklin Ave W, Suite 310
Minneapolis, MN 55404

Remember YOUR gift is MATCHED by the McKnight Foundation!

The Ibo tribe in Nigeria have a proverb that says, “It is the heart that gives; the fingers just let go.”

Giving is something that only the heart can do. The heart knows that all belongs to all so when we live from the heart, we are free to give without fearful clinging.
                                                          ~ Br. David Steindl-Rast 

Sincerely,

Shelley Jacobson
Interim Executive Director

P.S. Here is how YOU can be a part of MICAH

• Give your time by becoming involved in one of our chapters in YOUR community.
• Give your voice by speaking out about the affordable housing needs in YOUR community.
• Give financial support that empowers the "growth zone" that exists at MICAH. Just $100 supports a chapter meeting where communities MAKE a difference in their own back yards that WILL create more affordable housing.

It CAN be done. New seniors' apartments built in Eagan. Rent starts at $348/Month.

Click Here and Here.