On October 20th, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted to move along an affordable housing project at Fort Snelling called The Upper Post Flats. We wanted to make the community aware of this proposal because it has been the cause of some controversy and public attention. We are also aware that this project, because of its high cost per unit, may create a precedent or set up future affordable housing projects to be challenged.
The facts:
- The developer for this project is Dominium, based in Plymouth, MN.
- 191 apartments with a projected total cost of about $172.5 million — or $902,893 per unit
Hennepin County Board has already approved to spend $80 million in bonds on this project.
- The units are reserved for people making 60% of the area median income or less, currently about $43,000 (or $62,000 for a four-person household). Rents will be capped around $1,200 for a one-bedroom and $1,400 for a two-bedroom — the same as the average rent for one- and two-bedroom apartments in the Twin Cities.
- Commissioner Conley, who represents District 4 (Powderhorn Park), voted no on this project, saying "Approval of this project does not align with our disparity reduction housing goals in Hennepin County and, as such, does not align with the declaration of racism as a public health crisis."
What's next:
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners will discuss this item on the agenda to authorize the issuance and sale of one or more multifamily housing revenue bonds on November 3rd. To learn how to watch this meeting or submit a comment via voicemail, click here.
More info:
- Video of comments by Cmsr. Conley related to this project
- Op Ed by Owen Duckworth
PPNA encourages you to contact your elected leaders and voice your opinions on this project.