2018 RALPH RAPSON TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP
K-HOUSE
Stable housing leads to thriving communities. This is a sentiment we can all agree on, unfortunately stable housing is not a reality for everyone.
THE PEOPLE
In Minnesota, there are 889 homeless unaccompanied youth under the age of 24. Of these, 146 are minors under the age of 18. This population has grown since 2015, and research suggests the actual number is likely greater due to the difficulty in tracking this population.1
Additionally, 160,830 households in Minnesota are considered very low income, or below 30% of the Average Median Income. However, there are only 100,080 rental units available that are affordable to them, and 43.6% of those units are rented by higher earners. Over three-quarters of very low income households are rent burdened, paying more than 30% of their income on rent alone.2
These two populations, very low income households and homeless unaccompanied youth, are at high risk for experiencing chronic homelessness.
According to Minnesota’s Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, two-thirds of all affordable housing is “naturally occurring,” meaning it is low rent because of disrepair, lack of amenities, or location. These units are attractive to developers looking to improve them, and once updated are no longer affordable to low income renters. Because of this, there is an urgent need to create new affordable housing in Minneapolis.1
To align with Minneapolis’ city plan to connect Nicollet Avenue back to Lake Street, the site will be divided in half, with Nicollet Avenue cutting through the existing Kmart. The eastern half will serve as a shell for long-term housing units for homeless unaccompanied youth, an office for caseworkers dedicated to connecting them to community services, a community room/classroom, a cafeteria, and lounge, with adjacent outdoor sport courts.
The west half will serve as rental housing for very low income households, with amenities found in standard rental units in Minneapolis; a fitness center, bike storage, and community room, with retail spaces on the west side. The apartments will also have outdoor patio spaces, a dog run, a community garden, and a public park on the south side.
These amenities are critical, because providing stable housing only solves one part of the issue. Stable housing alongside services, amenities, and community provide a better long term outcome.
The buildings intentionally face each other to create a sense of transparency and openness with each other and the surrounding community. Rather than a roadblock, they are a gateway for the reinstated Nicollet Avenue and the future Nicollet streetcar, as well as a backdrop for the new public park. The housing structures provide shelter and amenities that will help foster community within the development, and connect residents to the existing community fabric.
1. Heading Home Together: Minnesota’s 2018-2020 Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, 2018.
2. Statewide Analysis of Gaps in Affordable Rental Housing. Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, 2015.