Designing Home at Emerson Village
by Dan Gregory, Strategic Communications Manager
When he was a teenager, Arch Jones’ family experienced homelessness. Now as an adult, he is being consulted on designs for new affordable apartment homes going up in his community.
“To be on the other side of this is really humbling,” Arch said. “When we were homeless, we were lucky to be part of a shelter program where our family had a room in a congregation each night, but we were still constantly moving. Every week was a new place. As a kid, you get that shelter burnout really quick. You wish this was different or that was different, but you didn’t really have a say. It’s amazing to be on the other side now, offering my input to help shape the idea and physical feel of home for others so they don’t have to experience what I did.”
Arch is one of several people who have experienced homelessness or housing instability who provided feedback and direction on the design of Emerson Village.
When it opens, Emerson Village will provide about 40 apartment homes for families in the heart of North Minneapolis. Developed and owned by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, there will be on-site services provided by Project for Pride in Living to support families who have experienced homelessness as they work toward goals around areas such as education, careers, or health. The entire building is focused on helping families thrive – it’s literally part of the design.
“As we set out to determine how the building would be designed, built, and operated, we knew we needed to listen to the insights of the community,” said Rev. Emily Goldthwaite Fries, a Senior Congregational Organizer with Beacon. “Specifically, how could we best incorporate the voices of people who had experienced homelessness? Beacon believes in the power of collaboration, so how could we collaborate to make Emerson Village truly responsive to what families would look for in supportive housing in this community?”
Beacon sought partners to facilitate this exploration, and Juxtaposition Arts and UrbanWorks stepped up.
“Juxtaposition Arts is proud to work alongside the architects at UrbanWorks and all of the people connected to the Emerson Village design project,” says Gabrielle Grier, CEO of Juxtaposition Arts. “For years, JXTA has been streamlining a new way of community-informed design, and we’re excited to provide Northside residents and their neighbors an opportunity to voice what they want their new space to look and feel like.”
Participants in the sessions focused on building trust, sharing ideas, and working toward a common goal: developing a quality building where families would feel at home. Some of the pieces were already in place when Beacon and UrbanWorks proposed the first design, such as a community room for larger celebrations and a computer room where kids could do homework or parents could apply for jobs. But other aspects emerged as conversation deepened. The final proposal includes a designated teen room and children’s playroom, a basketball area, outdoor grilling, playground, and lots of green space – all elements to help families enjoy being families.
“We got down to the details, like what kind of handles would look nice on kitchen cabinets but also be practical for families with young kids,” said Arch. “We talked about the pros and cons of different kinds of countertops and how best to use the outdoor space. It was really uplifting to see that our ideas were taken seriously and incorporated so early in the design process.”
“It’s amazing to see what happens as we share our stories and listen to one another, trust one another to create something new together,” continued Rev. Goldthwaite Fries “Beacon is so honored to work with people and organizations – Juxtaposition, Project for Pride in Living, UrbanWorks and the Northside Achievement Zone – across the Northside and all the congregations in our collaborative to make the homes at Emerson Village a reality. They say it takes a village, and we’ve been so blessed to be part of this one.”
Emerson Village is one of four family supportive housing developments Beacon has in process across the Twin Cities metro, including in Hopkins, Shakopee, and Maplewood. The need to create high-quality housing tailored to families who make 30 percent or less of the Area Median Income (about $30,000 a year for a family of four) is one of the most pressing in Minnesota.
Arch celebrates the focus on these homes and the foundation they provide to families.
“It comes down to stability,” he remarked. “It’s really hard for people to get back on their feet when everything around them is in flux. Emerson Village will make things so much easier for people because they’ll know they have this nice, brand new facility to come home to at the end of the day.”
Emerson Village has secured almost 91% of the required funding to complete these new homes. Funding is being provided from an array of partners including the federal government, Minnesota Housing, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines.
The contribution of 40 Project Based Vouchers from the Minneapolis PHA means that all the families who will call Emerson Village home will only pay 30% of their household income on housing.
On May 21, 65 members of the community, local clergy, and congregation members gathered to get a first look at the design and provide feedback. Participants were invited to leave a note of encouragement for a future resident. “I am so excited to have you as a neighbor,” wrote one community member. “Welcome home!”
“The dope thing about JXTA’s role in the Emerson Village project and others like it is we’re helping to bring about authentic community engagement,” says Jonathan Brown, VP of Program Strategy and Innovation for Juxtaposition Arts. “Our team works to develop intricate and important questions that guide and influence the design. That way, when the project is completed, the residents and the partners like Beacon and Project for Pride in Living see their answers and their vision reflected in the development’s design.”
Beacon will be seeking land use approval from the City of Minneapolis and final funding from the Met Council, the city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County in the coming months. As he awaits these decisions to move Emerson Village forward, Arch is proud of the role he got to play in shaping welcoming homes for future residents.
“This felt like a really tangible thing I was able to contribute to that I could drive by and be proud of for the next 30, 40 years,” exclaimed Arch. “This process is the best way to build these homes.”
