The Latest on Cranberry Ridge
We wanted to provide you with a brief update on Cranberry Ridge, 45 affordable apartment homes in Plymouth.
In case you missed it, we received funding from Minnesota Housing in November 2019! That was a huge win, but didn’t completely close the deal. Since then, we’ve be finalizing our approach to construction and operations in consultation with Minnesota Housing as we move toward closing and the start of construction. Our housing development team is diligently pursuing a short list of final capital funding sources to ensure we have the necessary resources to create Cranberry Ridge.
We are hopeful that we can start construction in spring of 2021, with families moving in as early as spring of 2022.
This summer, Beacon applied for and received additional rental assistance through the Metropolitan Council. This brings our total to 20 Section 8 vouchers at Cranberry Ridge, meaning 20 families who make less than $30,000 a year won’t have to pay more than 30 percent of their income toward their home. This rental assistance will deepen affordability for families and provide them with long-term stability in a great community.
We know this has taken way longer than any of us had hoped. We have learned from this project and we have leveraged these learnings. We’ve committed to 150 family homes modeled after our learning from Cranberry Ridge, and they all need additional investment.
We’re building on the power of your voices, your congregations, your actions over the years to move forward our shared vision that all people have a home. We’ve launched new homes in Hopkins (Vista 44), Shakopee (Prairie Pointe), and Minneapolis (Bimosedaa and Emerson Village), and are seeking to renovate American House in Saint Paul. New expansions of Lydia in Minneapolis and Kimball Court in Saint Paul are both in the works, too. We are bringing on new allies and champions for our Bring It Home, MN rent subsidy legislation to ensure that all low-income Minnesotans can afford their rent. We’re lifting up affordable housing as a key priority in elections this fall for county commissioners, state legislators, and other officials. And we’re in the midst of a $12 million campaign to fund and expand our work over three years so more of our neighbors can be Connected by Home.
It will take another $150,000 from the community to bring us over the finish line for Cranberry Ridge and fund the work we’re doing between now and folks moving into homes—working with public entities for capital, creating plans service provision, and preparing for move-in. We’re working to close that gap right now, and you can help. To make a gift today, click here or contact Clara.
As a community member, you can help Cranberry Ridge by contributing toward the $150,000 outlined above and by engaging in our policy work so our elected officials prioritize home. Our housing development staff are in final negotiations with the state to shape a financial model that works for years to come. While we are all anxious to get these homes created, we are confident the experts on our staff and at Minnesota Housing can get this done.
Thank you for the hard work and energy you’ve poured into Cranberry Ridge! We are excited to see these homes become a reality, and know that together, we can ensure that all people have a home.
This is all complicated, but we’re happy to talk with you about it. To learn more about Cranberry Ridge and how Beacon is responding to the need for home, contact Craig about attending an upcoming “Beacon Now” session, held virtually each Wednesday, or to schedule one with your congregation.
October 19 Update:
Generous donations from of our donors have covered the remaining $150,000 for Cranberry Ridge! We are incredibly grateful for this commitment to home!
You can join in their spirit of generosity by making a gift toward new homes for families at Emerson Village in North Minneapolis, Prairie Pointe in Shakopee, and Vista 44 in Hopkins. Visit www.beaconinterfaith.org/give or email Clara for more information.
