Unitarian
Universalist
Affordable
Housing
Partnership

New Affordable Housing Coalition's Tax Rebate Give-Back Campaign Nets $50,000 for Corporation for Supportive Housing

The Unitarian Universalist Affordable Housing Partnership ("UUAHP") has granted $50,000 to the Corporation for Supportive Housing ("CSH") to create a revolving fund from which CSH will make loans to sponsors of supportive housing projects in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro region.

The grant was awarded at a lunch event at the Minneapolis office of the Corporation for Supportive Housing on March 5. Representatives from several participating Unitarian Universalist ("UU") churches presented the check.

from left to right, Ron Dueltgen, First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis;
Mari Moen, CSH Program Director; Denise Miller, CSH Program Officer; Mary Whitney,
CSH Project Coordinator; Lois Hamilton, Groveland Unitarian Fellowship of St. Paul;
Carol White, First Universalist Church of Minneapolis; Carol Felsing, White Bear Unitarian Church
and Bob Aderhold, First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

UUAHP is a new coalition of ten metro UU congregations dedicated to alleviating the affordable housing crisis in the twin cities region. UUAHP's mission is to support 1) the development of housing affordable for households earning 30% or less than the metro median household income and 2) organizations working to prevent homelessness by working with individual families. UUAHP also advocates for public policy reforms to increase the supply of affordable housing and builds housing directly through Habitat for Humanity.

Most of the funds were raised through a campaign last summer in which UU members were asked to pledge one-half of their state tax rebates to support its affordable housing programs. "We were happy to see that $50,000 was donated, with an average of $200 per donation," said Carol White, the fund-raising campaign chair. "I think people wanted to show that during times of plenty extra tax money should go for this pressing community need, not just into individual pockets."

CSH is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1991. CSH supports the expansion of permanent housing opportunities called supportive housing that are linked to comprehensive services for persons who face persistent mental health, substance abuse, and other chronic health challenges, and are at risk of homelessness. Permanent supportive housing is a less expensive and more humane alternative to shelters and more institutional settings.

CSH provides private, nonprofit and government sponsors of supportive housing with the financial and technical assistance they need to build more and better housing with services. Most projects are developed by nonprofit housing developers in partnership with nonprofit service providers. UUAHP funds will help provide recoverable pre-development costs for up to 6 new projects over a period of four years.

"I'm very excited about our new partnership with UUAHP," said Mari Moen, CSH program director. "Their financial support is accompanied by a network of committed members throughout the Twin Cities willing to volunteer and advocate on behalf of our community's most vulnerable and under-served individuals and families-we're grateful that they chose CSH as their vehicle to make a difference."