HRA Meeting Date: February 17, 2026
To: Members of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority
From: Melissa Hanson, Housing Coordinator
Title
Staff Updates on Outstanding HRA Items
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Action Requested:
No action requested. There are several outstanding items related to Community Development and the HRA. A summary update on each item is provided below. Staff will also provide a verbal update during the meeting, and the Board may discuss any item individually as desired.
Summary Report:
City Redevelopment Projects, EDA, HRA, Planning Applications & Related Updates
See hyperlink in the attachment of this agenda item.
• 2330 Elianna Dr.
As part of the transition out of property management, the unit has been listed on the MLS for 101 days at a price of $305,000. Staff remain in regular communication with the listing agent.
• Fall Cleanup update
Prior to the City organizing a city-wide cleanup beginning in 2021, the HRA funded a successful, labor-intensive pilot Fall Cleanup program. The program was staged at Viking Terrace and then relocated to Riverside. The Fall Cleanup was created to address neighborhood complaints related to the disposal of large trash items (i.e. mattresses, tires, appliances, etc.) in public rights-of-way.
The City now offers a Spring Cleanup on two Saturdays in May at the Streets & Parks Department. To build on efficiencies and address equity considerations, staff has proposed locating one of the Saturdays at a northside location to improve physical access to the event. Following the Cleanup event, staff and partners will evaluate outcomes, identify improvements, and explore potential subsidy options to help reduce costs for lower-income residents in 2027.
• Manufactured Home Buyback Program
Staff have been exploring, in coordination with the Building Department and community partners, the potential to revive a former Manufactured Home Buyback Program. Using funds from the Building Department’s Emergency Housing Program, staff are currently working with two families identified by the Building Official as residing in substandard structures.
Prior to the next HRA meeting, staff will meet with partners to evaluate outcomes to date, assess the level of staff and partner time required to facilitate manufactured home replacement, and determine whether a buyback program would be a feasible and effective option for the community.
• Local Housing Trust Fund
Ordinance No. 1034, adopted by the City Council on April 19, 2022, established a Local Housing Trust Fund and designated the HRA as the administering entity on behalf of the City. In June 2025, the HRA was awarded $150,000 from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency for the Local Housing Trust Fund, to be provided on a reimbursement basis.
Based on the funding application requirements, these funds must be allocated to down payment assistance and home rehabilitation loans. Staff are preparing a Local Housing Trust Fund policy for HRA review at the next meeting, with formal action anticipated in April. The policy will guide updates to the down payment assistance and home rehabilitation loan programs.
• Community Land Trust (CLT)
There is a new coalition formalizing in Rice County to explore establishing a CLT. Staff are dedicating time and energy to explore the viability of a new CLT and will report back at the March HRA work session. CLT’s are a well-established program model and a tool to encourage single family homeownership for households in the 50-120% of AMI range. In short, they separate the value of the land from the purchase price of the home, to make the home purchase more affordable. A nonprofit or government agency retains ownership of the land. A CLT called “Cannon River Community Land Trust” was established in the Northfield area in the early 2000’s and failed in the housing crash in 2008. Staff are preserving lessons learned from this history.
Alternative Options:
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Financial Impacts:
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Tentative Timelines:
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