FAHP background

In 1974 the Minnesota State Legislature passed MN Statutes 473.195 - 473.20, granting the Metropolitan Council the powers of a municipal HRA in the metropolitan area. The legislation, reads in part:

“many municipalities in the metropolitan area are unable to adequately provide the financing and staff necessary for an effective municipal housing and redevelopment authority; for each such municipality to establish a separate authority would result in an inefficient use of manpower and services; and there is therefore a need to enable the metropolitan council to make available to the municipalities in the metropolitan area those services provided for in the municipal housing and redevelopment act”

Since the mid-1970s the Council has successfully provided housing and redevelopment authority services to suburban cities that have requested the services, by operating the federal Section 8 rental assistance program.

In January 2000 the Council established the Family Affordable Housing Program (FAHP) to assist the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) in meeting the housing replacement provisions of the 1995 Hollman consent decree. The decree provided for the demolition of certain public housing units within the City of Minneapolis, and made federal funding available for the development of 770 replacement housing units within census tracks not impacted by race or poverty in the City of Minneapolis and suburbs.

The Council agreed to develop 150 of the replacement units via FAHP, a scattered-site rental-unit acquisition program. The Council purchased property only in cities that formally voted to partner with the Metropolitan Council on implementation. Participating cities include:

Hennepin County: Edina, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Richfield
Ramsey County: Roseville, Shoreview
Anoka County: Blaine, Coon Rapids

FAHP assists the MPHA with the Hollman replacement housing provisions. It also serves as a tool to help suburban cities meet their affordable housing goals.

Since the FAHP units are funded by federal funds made available under the Hollman consent decree, 70% of the units are designated for families on the MPHA waiting list. Up to 30% of all FAHP units in each community are designated "incentive units" that may be leased based upon local preferences.