An official website of the Homes, not housing
A safe and stable home is more than just a building. Social and cultural support and robust neighborhood environments with access to amenities are also important for people to lead flourishing lives. Per Minnesota Statute 473.145, the Metropolitan Council has a role, through the regional development guide, to recognize and encompass social needs in addition to the physical and economic needs of the region.76 It is important to address regional housing-related issues that go beyond the physical components of housing to support and encompass social needs that can be influenced by neighborhoods, physical environments, and residents’ social and historical connections within communities.
"I'd like to live near amenities, restaurants, convenience stores..."
Quote footnote: 77
Access to amenities is a part of having a home where residents can lead healthy and robust lives. This includes access to schools, jobs, green space, grocery stores, cultural sites and spaces, health care, and social services, which all support the health and well-being of residents. In engagement, residents of the region talked about the importance of walkable and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, access to community places to gather and exercise, access to reliable transportation, and access to amenities that influence health, community connectedness, and access to economic opportunities.
"Cookie-cutter houses and houses on large lots are not an efficient use of undeveloped land. Encouraging more dense development, keeping housing in one area, and making areas more walkable [are desired goals]."
Quote footnote: 78
"Accessible health care, right near the building. As elders, we need more accessible health care."
Quote footnote: 79
However, not all residents have the same regional mobility, access to all geographic areas, or choice in where to live due to regional disparities. For example, Black, African American, and American Indian households have less economic-based housing choice than white households, significantly limiting their options to live in areas where they can have the same access to neighborhood amenities and other connections afforded to households of other races and ethnicities.
Housing choice is more limited for some racial and ethnic groups based on rental affordability
Figure 1-14. Maps of the ability of different racial and ethnic groups to live in a census tract based on the regional median income of that racial group in 2022 and the median rent of the census tract in 2022.
Source: American Community Survey (ACS). 2022 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Note: Census tracts with no data are due to the lack of a large enough sample size of rental units to generate a reliable median rent number. Affordable threshold calculated as 30% of gross monthly household income.
As a result of development, community policies, or investments in the region, low-income and communities of color are more likely to face displacement, an involuntary removal, loss of home, or loss of sense of belonging as the result of an economic, social, or physical change. Therefore, identifying those who are most affected by these issues and at risk of displacement is imperative in preserving social and cultural connectedness in communities.
"Everyone should have space for cultural practices and community centers."
Quote footnote: 80
"A community center in each neighborhood."
Quote footnote: 81
A sense of community, social and cultural connectedness, and having agency and independence in housing allows residents to have safe and stable homes. Strengthening and preserving community connectedness also goes beyond physical infrastructure. Having access to strong social support systems allows opportunities for residents to maintain independence in the community, prevents social isolation, and builds inclusive communities. This also includes access to digital connectedness.
For residents at risk of losing their homes due to the high cost of housing, displacement can also cause a loss of social connections to neighbors, community organizations, places of worship, and local businesses, leading to additional loss of support and opportunities based on built personal networks.82 As a result, coordinated displacement prevention and mitigation programs are needed. As an example, emergency rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic was shown to be an important intervention to support short-term housing stability and financial well-being.83
All residents deserve to have agency in their lives and living situations as well as the support needed to help obtain and maintain their housing. For renters, health and housing stability is supported by local tenant rights and protections paired with relationships between property owners, managers, and tenants that are conducive to building dignified living spaces for residents of the region.
76. Minnesota Statutes Sec. 473.145. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/473.145
77. Metropolitan Council. (2024). Quote from an engagement participant of The Arc Minnesota group, June 18, 2023. https://metrocouncil.org/Housing/Planning/2050-Housing-Policy-Plan/HPP-2050-Engagement.aspx
78. Metropolitan Council. (May 17, 2023). Quote from 4-H Final Presentation at a Metropolitan Council Committee of the Whole meeting. https://metrocouncil.org/getdoc/5763e70d-6aad-465a-af70-216da51b83a9/Agenda.aspx
79. Metropolitan Council. (2024). Quote from an engagement participant with the Leech Lake Twin Cities Office, July 26, 2023. https://metrocouncil.org/Housing/Planning/2050-Housing-Policy-Plan/HPP-2050-Engagement.aspx
80. Ibid.
81. Metropolitan Council. (2024). Quote from a Housing Choice Voucher participant (Circle Pines), Oct. 18, 2023. https://metrocouncil.org/Housing/Planning/2050-Housing-Policy-Plan/HPP-2050-Engagement.aspx
82. Center for Urban and Regional Affairs – University of Minnesota. (January 2019). The diversity of gentrification: Multiple forms of gentrification in Minneapolis and St. Paul. https://gentrification.umn.edu/sites/gentrification.umn.edu/files/files/media/diversity-of-gentrification-012519.pdf
83. Minnesota Housing Partnership. (May 2023). Emergency rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic report. https://mhponline.org/wp-content/uploads/ERA_Report_V6_06.15.23.pdf Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University. (June 2022). The short-term benefits of emergency rental assistance. https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/research/files/harvard_jchs_short_term_era_benefits_airgood-obrycki_2022.pdf
