FAMILY HOUSING FUND

Programs: Homeownership: the fund provides financing to help preserve and produce affordable housing opportunities for lower income homeowners. It aligns these efforts to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods, communities, and the metropolitan region. In 2014, the greater metropolitan housing corporation's shop 2012 llc, which has borrowed funds from the family housing fund's (the fund's) home prosperity fund (hpf), had 73 contract-for-deed closings worth over $11m, helping to stabilize neighborhoods by making homeownership accessible and sustainable to lower income families. The hpf development partners rehabilitated 18 previously vacant or boarded up properties and 24 foreclosed houses, and resold six properties from prior acquisitions. Five closings made possible through the home ownership made easy (home) program received a supplemental loan from the hpf in 2014. Formed by the fund in 2009, the twin cities community land bank llc (land bank) is a strategic tool to respond quickly and effectively to challenges and opportunities in affordable housing and economic development. In 2014, the land bank purchased and resold 87 single family properties to developer partners, made 75 loans to developers, and acquired 5 strategically located properties along transit corridors. The land bank also closed on six commercial project loans in 2014. Since its inception, the land bank and its staff have developed a strong reputation and expertise, making them valuable consultants to partners on commercial real estate brokerage and land assembly. The fund invests in coordinating consultants for two neighborhood collaborations it supports and chairs: the frogtown rondo home fund and northside home fund. The independent coordinating consultants have proven highly effective in adding value to existing neighborhood, city, and community efforts to support safe, vibrant, and sustainable communities. The frogtown rondo home fund (frhf) creates vibrant and integrated communities through coordinated public and social sector housing investments in st. Paul's frogtown and rondo neighborhoods. Frhf facilitates collaboration of 39 partners by bringing together the community partners and stakeholders. In 2014, the frhf fulfilled eight requests for funding, totaling $164,700, from its strategic opportunity fund capitalized by the central corridor funders collaborative and the family housing fund. These small grants funded pilot projects and new collaborations that were unlikely to receive funds from traditional philanthropy, but made significant contributions to resident engagement, tenant education, and the production of affordable housing. Frhf also helped attract $2 million for housing investments in two neighborhoods from the public sector. The northside home fund, which works to stabilize and expand minneapolis's northside's base of successful homeowners, helped improve 21 properties in the hawthorne eco village in 2014. Partner's efforts are contributing to overall market improvement in north minneapolis. In 2014, the median sale price for all homes sales increased 23. 6% in near north and 32% in camden. Non-distressed sales alone increased 3. 3% in near north and 3. 7% in camden. By focusing on quality, energy efficient, green homes, partners have improved the ability to attract buyers to the neighborhood.

supportive housing: the fund provides financing to help preserve and produce affordable housing opportunities for lower income renters who have experienced homelessness and that need supportive services in addition to housing. It aligns these efforts to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods, communities, and the metropolitan region. The fund works with partners to implement the statewide plan heading home: minnesota's plan to prevent and end homelessness. The fund participates on several levels: providing fiscal management to the heading home minnesota partners fund and funders collaborative and hennepin county stable families initiative, and providing expertise and leadership on various hennepin county committees that aim to end homelessness. For the past nine years, the fund has addressed the effects of homelessness of children through its visible child initiative (vci). Vci offers professional trainings and provides shelters and front line staff with the necessary tools and resources to address the needs of families and young children who have experienced the trauma of homelessness. The vci trained 400 front line staff from 36 different organizations in 2014 to identify needs and provide services for homeless families, with the goal of promoting healthy child development and family wellbeing. In late 2014, the vci began a pilot of making ends meet (mem), a pre-financial literacy curriculum at four supportive housing organizations. The fund developed mem after a national search found no appropriate curriculum for families living with no income or government assistance. By the end of the pilot in late 2015, the program will have educated 30 parents about money values, money management, debt, building assets and wealth. 2014 marked beginning of the second year of vci's children's mental health (cmh) pilot, which demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of offering onsite children's mental health services (paid for by existing medical assistance programs) at supportive housing organizations. Five supportive housing organizations are participating in the pilot's second year, referring homeless children for mental health services. The fund expects 20 children will receive services during the second year of the pilot. The project also is also building the capacity of the organizations through training and case consultation with the african american child wellness institute. The vci will use the evaluation of the pilot to inform future policy and regulatory recommendations that will help embed mental health services in supportive housing.

rental: the fund provides financing to help preserve and produce affordable housing opportunities for lower income renters. It aligns these efforts to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods, communities, and the metropolitan region. The consolidated request for proposals (rfp), hosted by minnesota housing, coordinates and aligns public and philanthropic capital support for affordable housing through a single application process. In 2014, the fund closed on $1. 75 million in deferred loans to seven projects selected through the rfp process, which will produce and/or preserve 579 units of affordable rental housing. The fund has committed $625,000 to four future projects, containing 165 units of affordable housing. In 2014, through its participantion in the collaborative stewardship council, interagency stablization group, and minnesota preservation plus initiative (mppi) programs, the family housing fund helped provide technical assistance and expertise to developers working to preserve affordable housing; the technical assistance improved the quality of applications submitted to the consolidated rfp to fund rehabilitation projects. As a result, eighty-three percent of the projects that took advantage of the technical assistance received funding, enabling developers to preserve existing affordable housing for families. The fund promotes the creation of affordable, healthy and energy-efficient housing in its financing work through minnesota green communities, a partnership with greater minnesota housing fund. In 2014, minnesota green communities facilitated a stakeholder process to establish green rehabilitation standards for the preservation of affordable housing. These requirements were integrated into the minnesota green communities criteria, which all projects applying for funds through the consolidated rfp must meet. Fund staff and consultants also provided technical assistance to architects, developers, local communities, and government to build healthy housing and improve energy and water efficiency in affordable housing. Since 2007, the fund has partnered with urban land institute (uli) -minnesota and the regional council of mayors (rcm) on the housing initiative, an effort to increase the preservation and production of a full range of housing choices throughout the region and to improve links between housing and regional growth and systems. With fund support, the housing initiative examined local challenges of development and redevelopment with leaders at six navigating your competitive future workshops in 2014. The fund supported additional learning opportunities through quarterly rcm housing initiative advisory group sessions; county housing redevelopment agency /community development agency meetings; and the 6th annual housing summit "designing great neighborhoods. " family housing fund support of the housing initiative has influenced public will for affordable housing, which has produced and preserved 2,711 units in suburban cities.

public education: the fund continues to expand public understanding of the value of affordable housing and public will to preserve and produce affordable housing in the context of a comprehensive regional development approach that serves all citizens and communities. Online communicationin late 2014, the fund launched a redesigned website (www. Fhfund. Org), improving user experience with easy access to program information and industry resources. The fund also established a website for the affordable housing collaboration outcomes and lessons learned project, a partnership with the greater minnesota housing fund intended to inspire action to preserve and produce affordable housing and improve the livability of neighborhoods through reflection and analysis of current and past collaborative programs. Publicationstimely data is critical in positively influencing the public will for affordable housing. In 2014, the fund commissioned maxfield research to update its 2000 report analyzing the effect of affordable rental housing on twin cities home values. The report reaffirmed that quality, well-managed, affordable housing does not negatively impact market performance of nearby single-family homes. The report serves as supportive evidence for fund partners and policymakers to reference when advocating for affordable housing. Using the 2014 maxfield report, regional economic and real estate data, and national research fund updated three fact sheets that summarize, analyze, and contextualize the inability of working families to afford a home, the misconception that affordable rental housing decreases property values, and the negative effects of homelessness on twin cities children. . Soul and affordable housingover the past fifteen years, the fund's soul and affordable housing initiative has personalized the issue of affordable housing. Year after year, the home sweet home and home sweet home again exhibits spark social dialogue by demonstrating the urgent need for affordable housing and the emotions associated with the idea of home. With powerful paintings, photographs, and prose, the initiative's 2014 shows exposed the artwork to thousands of people at the hennepin county minneapolis central library and downtown congregations to end homelessness. Both galleries were incorporated into the fund's redesigned website to further expose the community to the artwork and poetry.