Lydia Expansion brings 40 new, deeply affordable homes to Minneapolis
Over twenty years ago, pickets and court challenges from the neighborhood threatened to derail Lydia Apartments. Today, an expansion doubling the size of the building is being celebrated by neighbors and public officials as a sign that supportive housing works to alleviate chronic homelessness and keep people stably housed.
“The story is Lydia is a story of success,” said Lee Blons, former CEO & President of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, the developer and owner of Lydia. “Success at changing hearts and minds, success of working together for impactful solutions, but especially success of people who’ve experienced homelessness and now claim the dignity and stability of a home of their own.”
Success also means an expansion of 40 new homes and a renovation of the original 40 apartments in the Stevens Square neighborhood building. Each of the apartment homes in the building is affordable to individuals making 30% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI) because of rent vouchers through Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. Residents have previously experienced housing insecurity and homelessness, and have access to professional advocates, with offices in the building, to connect them to resources and work toward self-defined goals.
“From the beginning, we’ve been committed to linking quality affordable housing with onsite support services so residents have every opportunity to thrive,” said Blons. “At Lydia, this model has proven itself time and time again. There are residents who have lived here for 13, 15, 18 years who had struggled before to keep a place for a few months. When you embed those support systems into the design and experience, though, people can do amazing things.”
When Beacon celebrated the opening of the expansion, guests included Kelly Matter, President and CEO of Avivo, which provides support services at Lydia; Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Leimaile Ho; Hennepin County Commissioner and Chair Marion Greene; and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Minneapolis City Council Member Lisa Goodman, an early and steadfast proponent of Lydia’s original development and current expansion, was unable to attend.
“Affordable housing is one of our most urgent priorities in Hennepin County,” said Hennepin County Commissioner and Chair Marion Greene. “With this new construction, Lydia Apartments is providing 40 units of new affordable housing, and amazingly, all the units in Lydia will be deeply affordable, which means restricted to households with incomes less than 30% of the Area Median Income. Lydia Apartments is addressing a critical gap in our housing infrastructure—these are the types of investments we need to keep moving the needle on the short supply of affordable housing.”
The congregations of Beacon’s collaborative advocate for increased public resources to make home possible for people most impacted by housing insecurity and disparities. This includes leadership on Bring it Home, Minnesota, a statewide initiative to ensure every Minnesotan gets the rent support they deserve, and calling on the state legislature and governor to prioritize funding for Housing Infrastructure Bonds that are necessary to build developments like Lydia.
“It’s great to see the opportunity to double the number of units available at Lydia Apartments,” said Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Leimaile Ho. “This development is a perfect example of Housing Infrastructure Bonds at work, and it demonstrates why the legislature should be authorizing more.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also spoke to the need to support affordable housing with increased resources. “Since the beginning of my first term, affordable housing has been a top priority,” he said. “Having a safe place to call home is a basic human right and something that every person in our community needs to have. The preserving and expanding of Lydia apartments exemplifies the benefit of investing in supportive housing – and shows the City’s continued commitment to deeply affordable housing. I’m grateful to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative for their support of our community.”
The addition includes a new front entrance and reception desk, elevator, bike storage area, new office space for Avivo’s support services staff and Premier’s property management staff, and a larger, upgraded community kitchen. Renovations have made current apartments and community spaces more attractive, comfortable, and energy-efficient.
The success of Lydia is a testament to the need for deeply affordable, supportive housing as an essential part of a healthy housing ecosystem and the benefits of collaboration within and across communities and all levels of government. Yet home still doesn’t receive anywhere close to the investment needed to bring stability, safety, and opportunity to Minnesota families.
“We simply cannot keep underfunding home and expecting our housing crisis to get resolved,” said Blons. “Home is the foundation of everything else we do. But the Twin Cities metro has only built a mere one-in-ten of the new deeply-affordable homes needed each of the last five years. It is simply unacceptable that ninety percent of people have to keep waiting for a home they can afford. The expansion of Lydia is a great and important step – but it cannot be the last. Together, we must build a Minnesota where all people have a home!”
