Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

A major component of the new three-year strategic plan focuses 75 percent of new construction projects in fast growing suburban communities. Some partners used to working in the core cities are asking why the need exists to focus on communities such as Chaska and Ramsey.

Employment and Affordable Housing

TCHFH wants to plan its developments in communities that combine opportunities for employment, access to transportation, good schools, and other public amenities such as parks and trails. Urban planners refer to this as "smart growth," as cities plan how to accomodate the growth in metropolitan areas.

In the Twin Cities, the majority of such opportunities exist in suburban communities where tracts of land are still available for purchase.  This follows a nationwide trend identified by a 2003 Brookings Institution report which states, "Census 2000 confirms that the decentralization of economic and residential life remains the prevailing trend in metropolitan America today.”

Specific to the Twin Cities, the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota notes that the highest percentages of job growth from 1990 to 2000 have been seen in outer ring suburbs such as Maple Grove (895%), Woodbury (189%) and Brooklyn Park (81%), whereas job growth in core cities such as St. Paul’s central business district declined by five percent during the same decade. The success of Habitat’s homeowner families is incumbent on building in areas where a high quality of life is likely, and access to local employment is a key.

The Chaska and Ramsey Examples

Smart growth is much more than simply combining affordable housing opportunities with access to employment. Twin Cities Habitat has just started to construct four single-family houses in Chaska’s Clover Ridge neighborhood and 24 townhomes in the City of Ramsey.  These developments fully incorporate the principles of smart growth. In Chaska, the lots are narrow, allowing for higher density and lower land acquisition costs.  Additionally, the homes are within walking distance of an express bus route to downtown Minneapolis, a neighborhood school, and a vast network of parks and trails.

“Chaska wants to be the best small town in Minnesota and make sure that its neighborhoods create a sense of place. Residents should get to know their neighbors and have opportunities to enjoy cultural amenities focused around a neighborhood center thereby allowing the residents to take pride and ownership in their community,” said Matt Podhradsky, Chaska’s assistant city administrator.

In Ramsey, the ability to construct 24 homes in three phases using the townhome model allows for higher density levels.  In addition, the homes are within walking distance of a planned commuter rail station, and in close proximity to parks and trails, retail and job opportunities that have boomed since 2000 with the creation of the new Ramsey Town Center.

Plans for 2007-2010

More plans are underway to build TCHFH homes in communities like Chaska and Ramsey that offer smart growth components.  Twin Cities Habitat will also build for the first time in Brooklyn Park, a city that has seen some of the highest job growth numbers in the Twin Cities.

As the cost of energy increases, it is crucial that Habitat homeowners be able to afford not only their mortgage payments, but also the cost of commuting to and from work.  Situating developments in communities that have strong employment opportunities and access to public transit, while also offering the ability to build near good schools and public amenities, will allow Habitat families more opportunities to be stronger members of their new communities.

Contributed by Karl Batalden