Follow MHP Connect for a variety of coverage on housing and community development news in Minnesota and across the nation.
MHP's newest quarterly 2x4 Report points to likely rent increases, with plunging rental vacancy rates in the Twin Cities. Rental demand is up, while 2006-2010 also saw the lowest multi-family housing construction in 50 years. Meanwhile, high homelessness persisted in the first quarter of 2011.
Read more: New 2x4 Report: Rental Market Stretched, Homelessness Still High
A month ago the Washington Post published a series of stories about flaws in HUD's HOME program. This was a real gotcha investigation with the Post front page article using inflammatory language (e.g., HUD "squandered hundreds of millions of dollars" and experienced "widespread misspending and delays... with breakdowns at every level"). Turns out the 20 year old program didn't warrant all the fuss.
Read more: Scrutiny of HUD HOME Program Causes Big Wave, but Ripples Fade
Normally the May meeting of odd number years is one in which the Minnesota Housing Commissioner announces to the board the level and purpose of legislative appropriations awarded the Agency. Not this year, while the political process grinds forward, the board’s focus was on maintaining efforts and disaster response. As of the day of the board meeting, the Commissioner did not even know whether her staff would be working after June 30.
Read more: MN Housing Board: Revenues up, tornado & foreclosure relief, and more
Resources this month feature a good, hard look at the direction of national housing policy priorities, the experience of "newly poor" children in the Twin Cities, meeting "worst case" housing needs, and the tussle between competing values of privacy, walkability, and community amenities.
Read more: Resources: Market, Newly Poor Kids, Walkability, and Housing Needs
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