Minnesota Housing to Invest Nearly $40 Million to Maintain Public Housing Across the State
PAUL, MN – Minnesota Housing will commit $39.5 million to maintain and upgrade 18 public housing buildings. The investments will preserve 1,641 apartments and townhomes across the state, with three in the Twin Cities metro and 15 in Greater Minnesota.
“It’s critical that we preserve the public housing we have in Minnesota, because we’re not able to build any more. Public housing provides affordable homes for thousands of Minnesotans who make the least,” said Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho.
Publicly Owned Housing Program (POHP) supports critical infrastructure and mechanical system updates. Selected projects include boiler and plumbing modernization, window and door replacement and exterior renovation. Preference is given to properties with the most immediate risks to the health and safety of their residents.
The 2024 POHP selections are:
- Cedar High Apartments in Minneapolis, Hennepin County
- Columbia Rouchleau in Virginia, Saint Louis County
- Edgerton Hi-Rise in Saint Paul, Ramsey County
- Empire Apartments in Saint Cloud, Stearns County
- Grandview Apartments in Morris, Stevens County
- Hill Lake Manor in Hill City, Aitkin County
- Jordan Tower in Red Wing, Red Wing County
- Maryhill Manor in Aitkin, Aitkin County
- Midtown Manor in Duluth, Saint Louis County
- Mt. Airy Hi-Rise in Saint Paul, Ramsey County
- Oak Court Apartments in Crookston, Polk County
- Pioneer Villa in McGregor, Aitkin County
- Red Wing Scattered Site in Redwing, Red Wing County
- Ross Park Apartments in Sleepy Eye, Brown County
- Sharp View in Moorhead, Clay County
- The Blue Mound Tower in Luverne, Rock County
- Wilson Apartments in Saint Cloud, Stearns County
- Woodland Park Apartments in International Falls, Koochiching County
In this selection round, Minnesota Housing awarded the Virginia HRA $5.75 million to rehabilitate The Columbia Rouchleau Apartments.
At Columbia Rouchleau, the brick façade on the building is failing to the point where the brick may fall off in areas. Its windows are beyond their life expectancy, with some being hard to open, and the sidewalks and curbs are crumbling. These issues pose serious safety concerns for the tenants and could lead to more damage to the building if not addressed.
“The affordable rental market is dire for many seniors in rural Minnesota and many of them have nowhere else to go,” said Dana Hilton, Executive Director of the Virginia HRA. “If we don’t make these vital improvements, we’ll lose these units and we can’t afford that.”
For more information about the program, visit our Publicly Owned Housing Program (POHP) webpage.
About Minnesota Housing
Minnesota Housing is the state’s housing finance agency. For more than 50 years, we’ve worked to provide access to safe, decent and affordable housing and to build stronger communities across the state. In 2023, we distributed $1.85 billion in resources and served more than 69,500 households.
