1. Emerson North
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Annalisa McDaniel
image: http://limorentalmn.com

2. Emerging Best Practices in Siting Housing First | 30
Abstract within the state, are creatively seeking solutions to end
e following report provides an account of a recent site homelessness in their jurisdictions. Hennepin County is
location dispute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. e report following the Housing First strategy provide safe homes for
provides examples of strategies that have eased local opposition chronically homeless individuals and families. In Minneapolis,
to a proposed multifamily development that includes Housing Housing First units are located in developments that include a
First units. is paper analyzes the actions of the Plymouth combination of supportive housing, workforce or market rate
Church Neighborhood Foundation (PCNF), a nonprofit units.
developer, and the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council Unlike other areas throughout the country, neither
(NRRC), the Near North/Willard-Hay neighborhood Hennepin County nor Minneapolis Housing Authority
organization, during the beginning phases of the Emerson constructs Housing First facilities. e County partners with
North multifamily development. PCNF has proactively engaged housing service providers, community landlords, business, faith
the community from the beginning, and as a result the and advocacy leaders to provide housing first units for
developer has received community support for their project individuals and families .3
despite initial pushback from some community members. Under Minnesota's Group Residential Housing (GRH)
Statute, the State subsidizes, or oen times fully covers, rent
Discussion payments for chronically homeless individuals. Individuals
In 2006 the state of Minnesota, along with over 300 qualify for support due to metal health issues, disabilities,
states, cities, and counties throughout the Nation, created a ten- addiction, Native American heritage, or are single women with
year plan to end homelessness.1 Heading Home Hennepin is a children. Many nonprofit and religious organizations that
component of the statewide plan that is specifically focused on provide housing for the homeless and develop Housing First
Hennepin County and Minneapolis, its largest city. Housing facilities receive their tenants' monthly rent payments directly
First is a cornerstone of the ten-year plan. Prevention, outreach, from the State of Minnesota.
service delivery improvement, self-support capacity building, Construction of new housing units is absolutely essential
and systems improvements are additional strategies to address because the state is actively trying to address homelessness and
homelessness emphasized in the plan.2 move homeless individuals and families in to safe, clean, and
e ambitious plan puts Hennepin County at the well-kept housing. Despite the demand, affordable/workforce
forefront of the movement to end homelessness. e State of housing facilities, homeless shelters, and Housing First facilities
Minnesota, as well as the counties and local municipalities
1Hennepin County and City of Minneapolis Commission to End Homelessness. (2006). Heading Home Hennepin: e Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Minneapolis and
Hennepin County.
2Hennepin County and City of Minneapolis Commission to End Homelessness. (2006). Heading Home Hennepin: e Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness in Minneapolis and
Hennepin County.
3 Hennepin County. (2012). Hennepin County Fact Sheet, Housing First Partnership.

3. Emerging Best Practices in Siting Housing First | 31
are invariably magnets for controversy and are oen difficult to tornado. e site is surrounded by residential land uses and is
site. located a block from West Broadway Avenue, a major
On May 22, 2011 a tornado damaged 500 units of commercial corridor.
affordable housing stock in the North Minneapolis e development is located in the Near North
neighborhood. e damaged housing units were predominantly Minneapolis neighborhood, which is racially and ethnically
older, inefficient duplex and multiunit houses. e Emerson diverse. Near North Minneapolis has traditionally been a
North development was proposed in June 2011 as a direct working class neighborhood. Residents have a lower average
response to the loss of affordable housing units in the household income than the City of Minneapolis as a whole.
neighborhood. Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation e residents of the Old Highland neighborhood directly
owns a parcel of land at 1800-1826 Emerson Avenue North in surrounding the Emerson North development site are more
the neighborhood damaged by the tornado. An old grocery affluent compared to the larger neighborhood and are
store is currently located on the project site and houses an predominantly white. Homeowners in Old Highland have
operating day center for homeless families. invested significantly in renovating their large Victorian homes.
Emerson North was initially proposed as a 48-unit e residents are well organized and many are active in the
apartment complex, the number of units has since been reduced Democratic Party.6 Democratic U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison
to 41. Twelve units are reserved for formerly homeless families is a resident of the neighborhood and a supporter of the project.
and preference will be given to families affected by the tornado.4 PCNF's Community Engagement Strategy
In Minneapolis, approval for supportive housing requires only a Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation is a
conditional use permit. Supportive housing is a use by right in nonprofit faith based housing developer. rough its work,
the majority of residential and commercial districts including PCNF has gained the support of many congregations in the
the area where Emerson North is proposed.5 e parcels are Twin Cities area. Because PCNF is well connected with
currently zoned for moderate density housing and the day churches, the first stages of community outreach began with
center is therefore a nonconforming use. (A nonconforming use Near North neighborhood congregations. Aer initial outreach
is a use that is not allowed by right and requires a zoning was conducted, six churches came together to create a task-force
variance or a special use permit to operate.) dedicated to moving the Emerson North project forward. e
PCNF viewed their property as an ideal location for a participating congregations were multi-racial and multi-faith
development that combined the existing day center, permanent and included a Catholic Church, an African American Mosque,
housing units for formerly homeless families using the day an African American Pentecostal Church, a Missionary Baptist
center, and workforce housing to help those affect by the Church, and a Presbyterian Church. PCNF made an effort to
4 PCNF. (2012). Emerson North. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation: http://plymouthfoundation.org/housing/emerson-north
5 Smoley, J. (2012, April 13). City Planner, City of Minneapolis. (A. McDaniel, Interviewer)
6 Israel, I. (2012, April 17). Interim Director, Northside Residents Redevelopment Council. (A. McDaniel, Interviewer)

4. Emerging Best Practices in Siting Housing First | 32
gain the support of congregations that reflected the diversity of services and Emerson North would further burden the
the neighborhood. Later in the process, local church leaders neighborhood. e addition of over 200 new tenants was also
helped encourage greater community participation. Church concerning to existing residents of the neighborhood, they
leaders were able to convey to their congregations the viewed the development as too large.9
importance of attending community meetings in support of Aer receiving opposition from the nearest residents
Emerson North. and support from the overall neighborhood, the NRRC Board
P C N F appro a c h e d t h e Nor t hs i d e R e s i d e nt s decided to neither support nor oppose the development. e
Redevelopment Council in August 2011 and asked the group to Board took a neutral stance with the caveat that they would
submit a letter of support for Emerson North to the City of support the project if PCNF would enter into a legally binding
Minneapolis. A letter of support was needed to receive grants Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). As PCNF is committed
from the City and Low Income Housing Tax Credits allocated to constructing housing to help end homelessness, the
by Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. NRRC arranged a developer agreed to negotiate with NRRC in order to gain the
community meeting in September 2011 to assess support for the neighborhood organization's support.
project. Residents of the Old Highland neighborhood voted 44 According to Allison Johnson, Congregational
to 11 in opposition to the project.7 According to Ishmael Partnership Organizer with PCNF, a subcommittee was formed
Israel, the Interim Director of NRRC, the residents nearest to to negotiate the CBA. e subcommittee held over ten meetings
the project were the least supportive and the most organized. and dedicated hundreds of hours to the negotiation process.10
Residents of the larger neighborhood voted 85 to 20 in support e CBA was negotiated with the help of a third party, the
of the development.8 Alliance for Metropolitan Stability. e Alliance for
e vocal minority skewed the broader neighborhood's Metropolitan Stability promotes local participation in
position on the project. e opposition group suggested that development and helps communities link development with
new owner-occupied units should be developed instead of localizes benefits.11 e Alliance for Metropolitan Stability has
rental units. Many residents of Old Highland believed that their advised other nonprofit groups, and a facilitator from the
neighborhood was home to more than their fair share of social
7Northside Residents Redevelopment Council. (2011, October 3). September Board Meeting Minutes (unofficial). Retrieved April 13, 2011, from Northside Residents
Redevelopment Council website: http://nrrc.org/2011/10/04/september-board- meeting-minutes-unofficial/
8Northside Residents Redevelopment Council. (2011, October 3). September Board Meeting Minutes (unofficial). Retrieved April 13, 2011, from Northside Residents
Redevelopment Council website: http://nrrc.org/2011/10/04/september-board- meeting-minutes-unofficial/
9Northside Residents Redevelopment Council. (2011, October 3). September Board Meeting Minutes (unofficial). Retrieved April 13, 2011, from Northside Residents
Redevelopment Council website: http://nrrc.org/2011/10/04/september-board- meeting-minutes-unofficial/
10 Johnson, A. (2012, April 18). Congregational Partnership Organizer, Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation. (A. McDaniel, Interviewer)
Alliance for Metropolitan Stability. (2008, October 10). Community Benefit Agreements. Retrieved April 18, 2012, from Alliance for Metropolitan Stability
11
website: http://www.metrostability.org/campaigns/article.php?sid=Test

5. Emerging Best Practices in Siting Housing First | 33
organization guided NRRC and PCNF through the CBA In the end, the board member's vote in support of Emerson
negotiation process. North was needed for NRRC to accept the CBA.
e developer's willingness to negotiate a CBA has been A dra of the Community Benefits Agreement was
the key factor in garnering neighborhood support for the accepted by the NRRC Board at a meeting that took place on
project. A dra of the Community Benefits Agreement is April 16, 2012. Approximately 100 people attended the meeting,
attached in the Appendix. Several items were negotiated during and the majority of attendants supported the development.13
the process. e number of units was reduced from 48 to 41 to Minneapolis Ward 6 City Councilman Robert Lilligren
better integrate with the neighborhood's exiting character. is an important stakeholder that was absent during the
Minority and women owned business requirements for negotiation process. U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison was a vocal
construction and operation of Emerson North were increased. supporter of Emerson North, but the NRRC felt it needed the
e CBA contains more than developer concessions, support of their councilperson as well. Alliance Housing
NRRC has a responsibility to maintain engagement with the Incorporated Director Herb Frey stated outright in an interview
developer and identify potential tenants that were displaced by that a councilperson's support can make or break a project.14
the tornado. A lasting affect of the CBA is the creation of an Cultivating support in City Council is critical for the success of
Advisory Group to include representation from NRRC, a both nonprofit housing developers and neighborhood
neighbor at large, a PCNF staff person, the property manager, associations.
and a tenant. Maintaining a relationship between all parties is
critical to the project's long-term success and acceptance. e Conclusion
Advisory Group is required to meet at least once a year for PCNF's approach to community engagement is what
thirty years. helped them gain neighborhood support for their project.
e process of negotiating the CBA helped change the Engaging with a diverse group of stakeholders was a successful
opinion of some community members and NRRC Board strategy for the developer. e support of local religious leaders
members. One particular board member was initially very helped increase the number of residents that attended public
vocally opposed to the development. Participating in the meetings in support of the project. Continuing the existing
negotiation process and building trust with the developer relationship with local congregations will also help the
through communication changed this particular individual's developer maintain contact with the neighborhood aer the
stance from opposed to the project to in favor of the project.12 project is completed.
12 Israel, I. (2012, April 17). Interim Director, Northside Residents Redevelopment Council. (A. McDaniel, Interviewer)
13 Johnson, A. (2012, April 18). Congregational Partnership Organizer, Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation. (A. McDaniel, Interviewer)
14 Frey, H. (2012, April 10). Director, Alliance Housing Incorporated. (A. McDaniel, Interviewer)

6. Emerging Best Practices in Siting Housing First | 34
While some developers prefer to fly under the radar and need full community support to move the project through the
site supportive housing and Housing First units in entitlement process. Nevertheless, the developer was willing to
neighborhoods with low property values and concentrated dedicate significant resources to the negotiation process. PCNF
poverty, PCNF makes it a priority to place affordable and did not have to reduce the number of units in the building, but
supportive housing units in all neighborhoods.15 is strategy, they did so to appease the public. Meaningful engagement
which mirrors the City of Minneapolis' overall strategy, requires between the developer and the neighborhood organization
PCNF to have a clearly articulated response to objections created a beneficial result for both parties. is will not be a
regarding increased concentration of poverty. Congressman one-off success for the community; rather the neighborhood
Ellison addressed this concern at a public meeting held about organization is now more empowered to participate in the
Emerson North. By supporting housing for the homeless and development process. NRRC is in the process of creating
providing safe places for homeless families to live, the statewide Community Benefits Agreement Council to aid other
community is helping to break the cycle of poverty and nonprofit neighborhood associations in Minnesota. By creating
ultimately de-concentrating poverty. When the homeless have a a framework for Community Benefits Agreements, NRRC
place to live, they are taken off the street and have the hopes to empower other community groups and help them
opportunity to li themselves out of poverty. When people are understand that they can play a meaningful role in development
safely housed, they are no longer homeless; therefore they do that occurs in their neighborhoods.
not increase the concentration of homelessness.
is concept should be communicated effectively to the
community at the beginning of any siting process, and the
importance of messaging should not be understated. Individuals
are not destined to always be poor or homeless, individuals are
experiencing homelessness and poverty. PCNF admitted this
message was overlooked and undervalued even though they
believe they tried to explain it to neighborhood residents.16 e
more time that passed, the harder the message was to convey.
PCNF had to make a concerted effort to explain this mission to
the community.
A final factor that contributed to neighborhood
acceptance of Emerson North was the willingness of the
developer to negotiate with the community. PCNF likely did not
15 Johnson, A. (2012, April 18). Congregational Partnership Organizer, Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation. (A. McDaniel, Interviewer)
16 Johnson, A. (2012, April 18). Congregational Partnership Organizer, Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation. (A. McDaniel, Interviewer)