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Construction Begins on Cranberry Ridge

Dan Gregory May 25, 2021

Cranberry Ridge will add 45 new apartment homes with on-site support services in Plymouth.

PLYMOUTH, MN, May 25, 2021 – Construction on Cranberry Ridge apartments means families will soon have more options for affordable housing in Plymouth.

The development by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative (Beacon) features 45 apartments for families who earn less than $52,000 a year for a family of four. Twelve of the homes will be for families who make less than $31,000 a year for a family of four. Underground parking, a fitness center, community lounge, and youth and adult program space will be among the amenities offered at the building, located at 18220 Highway 55 in Plymouth.

“Affordable homes like Cranberry Ridge are an essential investment in the strength and stability of families and our communities,” remarked Lee Blons, CEO / President of Beacon. “Plymouth is a great community for children to grow strong foundations for the bright futures they deserve, and we are grateful for the City and community partners who are helping ensure affordable housing is an option for suburban families.”

One of the partners for Cranberry Ridge is Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners, which will provide onsite support services tailored to residents. Through their Neighborhood Program model, families and staff engage in cross-sector systems – education, employment, local government, social services, property management, and mental health – to explore opportunities and address needs identified by residents.

“Interfaith Outreach is honored to be the onsite service provider. This partnership allows Interfaith to expand its Permanent Supportive Housing program and establish its tenth Neighborhood Program,” stated Kevin Ward, Executive Director of Interfaith Outreach.

Congregations of Beacon’s collaborative recognized the immense need for quality, affordable homes for families in the suburban Twin Cities, and organized private and public funding and community support to move Cranberry Ridge forward. Hundreds of people attended city council meetings to support the creation of homes embracing a vision of an economically and racially diverse community.

“Nothing big or lasting happens quickly,” remarked Rev. Dr. John F. Ross, Senior Minister at Wayzata Community Church, whose congregation is part of the collaborative. “Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative has been our guide for more than a decade. With their steady and thoughtful leadership, we’ve been able to achieve the goal of bringing more affordable home options for families in our neighborhood. Without any concern for who gets the credit, great things get done in the world!”

The Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and Metro HRA each awarded 10 rental assistance vouchers to ensure the homes will remain affordable for future residents with the lowest incomes. Capital funders include the local nonprofit Outreach Development Corporation, Minnesota Housing, Hennepin County, Wayzata Community Church, Plymouth HRA, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, and Wells Fargo. General contractor Shaw-Lundquist, architect BKV Group, and civil engineer Loucks have worked on the planning and development. Many individual donors provided seed funding to support the planning, organizing, and technical work to get Cranberry Ridge approved and fully financed.

Ken Dayton, Chair of Outreach Development Corporation (ODC), a funding partner of the development, states, “We and Interfaith Outreach celebrate Cranberry Ridge and the cross-sector partnerships that made it possible. Cranberry Ridge is a terrific housing option for families and kids of our community and a prime example of the power of public/private investment in quality affordable housing with services that provide opportunities for residents to build safe and strong futures.”

The development comes at a crucial time, as families across the metro face increasing obstacles to housing stability. The pandemic exacerbated underlying concerns about soaring home prices, slow wage growth, and new jobs skewing toward minimum wage positions. “All of these pressures are adding up and forcing more and more people to stretch their budgets to afford a decent apartment to raise their children,” remarked Blons. “The housing crisis is disproportionately affecting Black, Indigenous, and people of color – people who’ve systematically been denied access to quality housing right here in the Twin Cities for generations. Beacon believes that families should have a choice for where they want to live,” she continued. “The homes at Cranberry Ridge will allow families to live and learn and work and grow in a community they love and continue to invest in its prosperity.”

Construction on the building could be completed as early as Summer 2022, with residents moving in shortly after.   

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About Beacon | Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative has a vision that ‘all people have a home’. We are a collaborative of congregations who together build affordable and supportive housing, shelter families, and organize to impact housing policy. Beacon is a unique organization – an experienced nonprofit housing developer leveraging the power of congregations to create the public will needed to build and sustain affordable housing. Our focus is on households who make less than $30,000 a year, and those who are experiencing homelessness. | beaconinterfaith.org

About Interfaith Outreach | Interfaith Outreach is a human service nonprofit serving struggling families and individuals in the Twin Cities. Its Neighborhood Program works onsite with families and staff to engage in cross-sector systems to explore opportunities and address needs identified by residents. More at iocp.org.

About Outreach Development Corporation | Outreach Development Corporation is a community-based housing organization with a 21-year history of successfully mobilizing cross-sector partnerships to preserve, acquire, and develop quality multi-unit affordable rental housing in the Twin Cities west suburban communities.