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Our city is now confronted with a crisis relative to affordable housing. There is said to be a need for 15,000 new units over the next ten years. Holy Trinity has experience in providing affordable housing. Some years ago, Holy Trinity built 120 project-based section 8 units. Trinity Apartments is regarded as one of the very best buildings of its kind in the metro area. Adding to this experience, the congregation has recently completed construction of Trinity on Lake. This now brings a total of 144 units on the Holy Trinity campus.
In January 1997, the congregation of Holy Trinity voted to launch the planning and fund raising to develop a portion of church property on the mall adjacent to the Trinity Apartments. Trinity Housing Corporation, the nonprofit housing organization formed by Holy Trinity in 1978 to develop Trinity Apartments, assumed responsibility for this task. 2003 marked the completion of construction of Trinity On Lake, a 24 unit “mixed use” apartment building. One-third of the units rent at market rate; the remaining apartment rents are subsidized for persons with low incomes and for persons with special needs. Four units are fully handicap accessible; four units have two bedrooms; twenty are one-bedroom units. There are 12 units on each floor of the top two stories of the building. The first floor has two offices, a laundry, a community room with a modest kitchen and bathroom, storage for residents, and the building’s electrical and mechanical systems. The project brings to 144 the total number of housing units on the Holy Trinity campus. The following is a summary of the year’s highlights. The official real estate closing of the project occurred on January 8, 2003. In addition to representatives of Trinity Housing Corporation, others present included the funding agencies (Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Minneapolis Community Development Agency, and Hennepin County); building contractor Flannery Construction; and the Community Housing Development Corporation, a non-profit housing developer that is the legal partner of Trinity Housing Corporation for the project. Demolition of the two one hundred-year-old duplexes began in earnest the following Monday. Bitterly cold temperatures set in, delaying construction for some weeks. However, once begun, construction proceeded on schedule and within budget. We were blessed by an able team from Flannery Construction. Other costs emerged early that consumed most of the contingency budget for the $3.7 million project. The expenses included provisions for winter heating of the construction site; for compliance with new 2003 city environmental requirements regarding the parking lot infiltration trench; removal of additional underground tanks found on the property once construction began; consulting fees; and other miscellaneous items. Decisions regarding the building’s colors and materials (interior and exterior) occurred in consultation with the Trinity Housing Corporation Board throughout the winter and spring. Trinity representatives participated in bi-weekly meetings at the construction site with project architect Peter Kramer; Flannery Construction staff; and representatives of MHFA, MCDA, and CDHC. These meetings were occasions for drawing down funds for the project, for making building decisions, and for reviewing construction progress. As you have observed, Trinity On Lake’s development prompted other changes to the landscape around the church. We have new streetlights, a re-configured parking lot, and a watering system that will benefit other church greenery efforts. The costs for the lighting were shared by the congregation and Trinity Apartments. Also during this year the service partner for the project, Mental Health Resources, began planning for residents of Trinity on Lake, and moved its Housing and Outreach Team into a space on the first floor of Holy Trinity. The move enabled MHR to have a broader presence in the neighborhood and to serve the residents of the new building on site, usually in the client’s apartment. MHR will provide “building-wide” community services to Trinity on Lake through a grant from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. Additional fundraising for this effort will be required over the next several years. Thus far, the arrangement with MHR appears to be working well. They are delighted to be in the church building, and expect their clients to benefit from use of the gymnasium, meeting rooms, and kitchen (for cooking classes), in addition to the community room at the new building. Next Steps Planning, fundraising, and construction were important and challenging efforts. The next stage is equally important. Our task is to build community. A primary way to do this is to provide support for both individual residents and for the two apartment buildings. A newly formed committee that concerns services for both the Trinity Apartments and Trinity on Lake has begun to meet and make plans to engage the congregation in a variety of ways that create connections and community. There will be training for persons who would like to be a ‘befriender’ to individual residents, expanding the social circles and life experiences for persons who tend to be isolated. Other opportunities currently envisioned include sharing a skill, serving a meal, organizing an educational presentation, or helping host an evening dessert event. We invite and encourage everyone to imagine what they could do, and to act. There remain a number of loose ends with Trinity On Lake. Our efforts to furnish the community room have been thwarted, but we persist. The management of a new building and the location of our project on Lake Street also continue to present real challenges. The ongoing resolution of these issues remains a priority due to our proximity as neighbor and our responsibility as steward. As we have said in previous reports, the past year has been a lesson in perseverance and a window on the many challenges that confront those who wish to create affordable housing. We have been blessed by good support from many people and institutions. A special word of thanks to Ronald Johnson and to other members of the THC Board – Rosemary Foley, Lee Kampinen, Ron Peterson, Bob Swanson, Bob Torgerson, and Dawn Wieczorek. They are a wonderful group and source of good counsel. The next phase requires a broad effort to make our housing projects a home for those who live there, and an asset for this congregation and the Longfellow neighborhood. We look forward to working with you in the days and months ahead. Respectfully,
In the summer of 1999, we came up with the idea of constructing tool sheds for Habitat families. A letter was sent to families and there were 14 applications for a tool shed. Children in our summer programs have built tool sheds and gave them to Habitat families. One was constructed in 1999 and four in 2000. Our plan is to have children and youth construct several more such structures. Perhaps in a few years all 14 families can be provided a shed. This is one part of our long-term relationship with Habitat. The adults of the congregation work on one or two projects per year. This project does a good job providing housing for low-income people.
Groundbreaking was November 3, 2002. Volunteers began construction of a house Tuesday, November 5. The house is now complete thanks to the dedication of St Peder's and Holy Trinity congregants. Pictures from the construction. Click thumbnails below for larger picture.
Holy Trinity has worked on many houses and assumed the full responsibility (along with St. Peder’s) for one house. We are exploring the possibility of doing another Habitat house. We would make this project one in which as many as ten congregations in South Minneapolis, on an ecumenical basis, would participate. The primary challenge is that of acquiring land. The city is not particularly helpful in the process of accomplishing this. The construction of a new house costs the sponsor $50,000. The cost to individual congregations would be modest. Holy Trinity would exercise coordinating leadership on the project and would provide financial assistance of $8,000.
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Provision
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