clare.cloyd@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Mayor Coleman and Council Member Brendmoen Direct Fair Housing Working Group to Develop Strategic Plan
Announcement follows City Council vote for preliminary bond approval to finance 496 new units of affordable housing
SAINT PAUL – Mayor Chris Coleman and incoming Council President Amy Brendmoen today announced that the Fair Housing Workgroup, created in June 2017, will develop a fair housing strategic plan for the City of Saint Paul. In June, the Mayor and Councilmember and HRA Chair Brendmoen created a Fair Housing Workgroup to further the City of Saint Paul’s commitment to fair housing, housing choice, and economic opportunity.
“Our commitment to fair and affordable housing is central to creating economic security in Saint Paul and across Minnesota,” said Mayor Coleman. “For 12 years, I have focused on making Saint Paul a more equitable City for all by increasing access to transit, growing green space, and investing in affordable housing. I am proud of the progress we have made and confident that the leadership of Council President-elect Brendmoen and Mayor-elect Carter will continue to serve all of Saint Paul’s residents.”
“At its core, fair housing is about ensuring that our city has adequate housing options to suit the needs of all Saint Paul residents,” said incoming Council President Brendmoen. “The housing market has been tough in cities across America, and we need a plan so that all Saint Paulites have access to a safe, affordable place to live and a foundation from which to build happy, productive lives.”
Since 2014, the City of Saint Paul has invested in more than 1,700 units of affordable housing. Last week, the City Council and Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) approved more than $77 million in bond financing to finance four affordable housing projects. Collectively, this new financing will be invested in an additional 496 units of affordable housing in Saint Paul.
In addition to the investments and physical structures, the City of Saint Paul created a Fair Housing Workgroup to make policy and budget recommendations to the Mayor and HRA, with the goal of eliminating housing disparities, lowering barriers to affordable housing, and ensuring access to economic opportunity in the City of Saint Paul.
The action taken today directs the Fair Housing Workgroup to develop a holistic strategic plan that will engage stakeholders across the City, expand City offerings for fair housing education and training, support the continuation of the Commercial Vitality Zone fund, and work with housing partners to further fair housing goals.
The Fair Housing Workgroup will report back to the City Council on March, 28, 2018.
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