Say Hello to Vista 44
Beacon Launches Supportive Homes for Families in Hopkins
Vista 44 will offer urgently needed, quality apartment homes with on-site support services for families who make less than $25,000 a year.
Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative announced plans to build Vista 44, located at 1244 12th Avenue South in Hopkins, at a launch event on Thursday, April 25. Vista 44 will be about 50 homes combining the stability of a high-quality, well-managed apartment building with the support of on-site services to help families prosper.
Developed by Beacon, Vista 44 will provide critical support services for families who have experienced homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless. Families living at Vista 44 can build financial security on the solid foundation of an affordable place to live, bringing relief and flexibility to their budgets and stability to their lives. “There is an urgent need to create housing options that work for at-risk families in the suburbs,” says Beacon’s Executive Director Lee Blons. “As rents continue to rise across the Twin Cities metro area, more and more of us are feeling squeezed and being forced to make difficult decisions regarding health, education, debt, and basic needs within our budgets.” The apartment homes at Vista 44 will allow families to put down roots in a great community, investing in its prosperity while building toward bright futures.
Support services, provided by Volunteers of America – Minnesota and Wisconsin, will be tailored to each member of the family and what they need to thrive together. Adults will build a basis for increased household income, better employment opportunities, health and wellness, and long-term success. Children with stable homes are more likely to do well in school and less likely to experience homelessness as an adult. “What we know, is when we support well-being, which is at the heart of supportive housing, we make sure that everyone can reach their potential and fully contribute to our community,” Volunteers of America – Minnesota and Wisconsin Vice President for Mission Advancement Julia Donaldson notes. “To build well-being in our community depends on many people working together, just as building a house does. This is where our partnership with Beacon comes in.”
With great amenities nearby – such as the vibrant downtown district, Central Park, health centers, entertainment, one of the highest-rated and most-diverse school districts in the state, and easy access to two new Green Line light rail stations – Vista 44 will make it easy for families to enjoy being families. “We know there is need for supportive housing in the suburbs,” says Blons, “and this location in Hopkins will be a win for the future residents, a win for the current neighbors, and a win for Minnesotans who believe all people should have a home.”
Vista 44 is supported by the shared vision and passion of over 90 congregations throughout the Twin Cities metro area who make up the Beacon collaborative. “Supportive housing is a tangible example of the world as it should be,” remarks Reverend Cindy Hillger of St. Martin’s by-the-Lake Episcopal Church in Minnetonka Beach. “By committing to building homes like Vista 44, our values find expression in very real ways, with very real benefits to residents and the communities they love. We’re all better when all families have a safe place to sleep and a great place to put down roots.”
Beacon will be applying for zoning approval and public funding support in 2019 and hopes to break ground in 2020.
