Sep 4
The Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWMHP) celebrated a significant milestone in the preservation and rehabilitation of affordable housing with a ceremony held at Heather Court Apartments in Owatonna on September 4th. This event marks the culmination of efforts to rehabilitate and preserve affordability for a portfolio of Rural Development (RD) Properties serving several rural communities across Southern Minnesota: Owatonna, Waseca, Gaylord, Red Wing, Cold Spring, Pine Island and Watertown.
The event, attended by community leaders, government officials, and housing advocates, featured remarks by Colleen Landkamer, USDA Rural Development State Director for Minnesota; Jennifer Ho, Minnesota Housing Commissioner; Deletta Dean, Regional Vice President for NeighborWorks America Midwest Region; Andrea Brennan, CEO of Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF); and John Errigo, Managing Director of Equity Investing from GMHF and the Minnesota Equity Fund. It also included remarks and letters of congratulations from staff of both Senator Tina Smith and Senator Amy Klobuchar. The presence of all of these people highlighted the importance of partnerships between federal and state government agencies and local organizations to provide stable and affordable housing in rural regions.
The RD Properties portfolio includes 10 properties, spanning 19 buildings across 7 cities, with a total of 243 housing units. A $12 million rehabilitation effort, supported by USDA Rural Development, Minnesota Housing, NeighborWorks, GMHF and other partners, will ensure the long-term affordability and sustainability of these units for families and individuals in need.
“These things don’t just happen. Having the vision to preserve 243 affordable apartments in Greater Minnesota, in cities as large as Owatonna and as small as Gaylord and securing the partners and resources to get it done, is complicated. I cannot begin to describe the path that Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership took to arrive here today.
The reason we are standing here today is the tenacity, energy, and sheer will of Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership and all of its partners.
This work is critical to the well-being of families in Greater Minnesota. Minnesota statewide has a terrible shortage of affordable housing. We know that stable, affordable housing is the key to better health outcomes, greater K-12 educational achievement, job stability, and economic development.” – John Errigo, Managing Director of Equity Investing – Greater Minnesota Housing Fun and Minnesota Equity Fund.