Accessible housing moves into Eagan
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Help is on the way for struggling young adults in Dakota County in the form of accessible housing.
The Eagan Young Adult Supportive Housing project received $4.5 million in funding from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency and hopes to break ground this fall. The housing project is targeted at young adults, ages 18-24, who are homeless or considered at-risk for being homeless, said Sara Swenson, communications coordinator for the Dakota County Community Development Agency.
According to the 2006 Wilder Research Homelessness in Minnesota Survey, children, youth and young adults make up nearly half of all homeless people in Minnesota. This program aims to change this statistic as they become adults.
Potential residents “lack the ability to live independently or lack parental support,” Swenson said. An example of those considered “at risk” is people who are just coming out of the foster care system or who do not have a support system.
“The one key thing about this housing is that it is being called sober housing,” Swenson said. This means no alcohol or drug use will be permitted and a visitor policy will be enforced. No children will be allowed. The goal is to create a stable environment for the residents.
“We want them to be able to move on to independent living,” Swenson said.
The CDA will provide the housing and Dakota County will provide social services. Case managers will work closely with residents to keep them on track. Prospects will be screened, and selected residents will pay 30 percent of their income as rent.
The residence will include 24 single-resident apartments and one one-bedroom manager’s unit. The apartments will be built at Gold Trail and Cedar Grove Parkway in Eagan, the second largest city in Dakota County. It will be one of the first housing projects like this in the suburbs, Swenson said.
“Eagan is a great central location in Dakota County with a lot of employment opportunities and access to transportation,” Swenson said.
Swenson said there has been overwhelming support for this project from the city council, and that she has not heard any negativity or serious concerns.
“There is a strong need for housing and I don’t think we’ll have problems filling the housing and keeping it full,” she said.
The Minnesota Housing Board of Directors announced last fall approval of $82.6 million that will result in 2,543 housing units across the state. The $4.5 million award, a one-time grant for this development, is one of the largest housing awards given by the state agency, according to Megan Ryan, director of communications at the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency.
“What Minnesota Housing is trying to do is make the connection between affordable housing and quality-of-life issues,” Ryan said. “We’re really happy about that Dakota County has really come on as a strong partner in the ending long term homelessness project.”
Swenson said the estimated cost for the Eagan development is $5 million, so the $4.5 million is “right in the ballpark of what we were hoping to get.”
“Overall the funding that the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency awarded is an indicator of their strong support for the project,” Swenson said.