Minneapolis Foundation awards $725K in grants for affordable housing

The Minneapolis Foundation announced Thursday it will disburse $725,000 in grants to six Twin Cities nonprofits with a mission of addressing housing disparities.

The money will come from the OneMPLS Fund, which contributes to different “emerging needs” in the community from year to year. The fund has distributed $5.5 million to nonprofits since its founding in 2018.

This summer, the OneMPLS Fund will focus on fair and affordable housing, issuing grants to these organizations:

• $125,000 for African Career Education and Resources “to organize and engage residents and elected officials in policy advocacy and civic engagement related to the planning, production, and preservation of affordable housing in the northwest suburbs.”
• $125,000 to The Alliance Twin Cities to “combat gentrification and displacement” and boost housing access and stability.
• $125,000 to the American Indian Community Development Corporation to support residents of the Bii Di Gain Dash Anwebi senior housing community in south Minneapolis.
• $100,000 for City of Lakes Community Land Trust for down payment assistance on multi-family homes.
• $125,000 for Hope Community for the Community Ownership Training program to guide renters through the home-buying process and become “owner-occupant landlords” of multi-family homes.
• $125,000 for Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia to support residents in north Minneapolis and expand tenant education programs, among other goals.

“The ongoing housing crisis is keeping affordable rental housing—let alone the dream of homeownership—out of reach for thousands of Minnesotans,” said R.T. Rybak, President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation. “The OneMPLS Fund enables everyone in our community to be part of solutions, supporting people who are the most impacted and fueling efforts to address the root causes of housing inequality.”

You can donate to the OneMPLS Fund through the Minneapolis Foundation’s website. The organization says the next $100,000 in contributions will be matched by the Edward R. Bazinet Charitable Foundation.