Unitarian
Universalist
Affordable
Housing
Partnership

UU Affordable Housing Partnership News

December, 2002

Supportive Housing 

UUAHP is pleased to announce its first loan to a sponsor of supportive housing, through a partnership with the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH).  The project, called Central Apartments Minneapolis, is located on Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis and provides 61 units of single resident occupancy housing for formerly homeless adults with disabilities.  Tenants in the facility will receive mental health and other supportive services from its sponsor, Mental Health Resources, Inc.  The loan is part of a $50,000 CSH bridge loan to fund operating costs until the newly opened units are fully rented out.  Once repaid, the funds will be recycled for other projects. 

Earlier this year, UUAHP granted $50,000 to establish a revolving fund at CSH from which loans will be made to supportive housing projects in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro region.  To find out more about this UUAHP program, supportive housing and CSH, go to this web address: http://www.unitarian.org/uuahp/cshpress302.htm

Habitat for Humanity

UUAHP volunteers recently contributed 14 volunteer days on a new-construction project at 29th and Dupont in North Minneapolis.  Congregations Building Communities (“CBC”), an inter-denominational alliance of down­town Minneapolis congregations, sponsored the four-week project. 

CBC has committed to building 55 affordable units as part of the Heritage Park project on the near–North side of Minneapolis. These units will be affordable to a family earning less than 50% of the metro median income and will be among 300 other units affordable to residents having slightly higher incomes. That project, in which UUAHP will participate, is scheduled to begin in February 2003. 

UUAHP volunteers have contributed 1,768 hours of labor to Habitat projects in 2002. 

Upcoming Events 

·        Habitat Raffle – Jean Erickson of the White Bear UU Church has built a beautiful Victorian dollhouse that is being raffled as a fundraiser to support UUAHP participation in the Heritage Park project.  The drawing takes place at First Universalist Church on December 15.  Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 and are available from Habitat coordinators in each congregation.  You don’t have to be there to win.  The dollhouse can be seen at www.Unitarian.org/UUAHP/Bulletinboard.htm.

·        Habitat Workday – Saturday, December 7, will be the next UUAHP Habitat workday - contact Victoria Runnels, coordinator, vrunnels@mn.rr.com 612-285-6748. 

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.  The UUAHP steering committee meets once a month.  For further information, visit the UUAHP website at www.unitarian.org/UUAHP or contact Bob Aderhold, 952-924-1039.