Residents call for Dowling Community Local author earns compromise at Garden celebrates national Pinckley Hiawatha Golf Course 75th anniversary Prize for debut novel PAGE 5 PAGE 6 PAGE 12 September 2018 Vol. 36 No. 7 www.LongfellowNokomisMessenger.com 21,000 Circulation • ‘Extremely affordable’ housing project planned at 45th and Hiawatha Amber Apartments to provide a step between homelessness and citizens who give back to their communities By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN An “extremely affordable” housing project in Longfellow will bridge the gap for people who are working but still don’t make enough to afford a stan- dard rent payment. Amber Apartments is being built by RS Eden, a niche player in the development world that provides affordable housing with support services, explained Presi- dent and RS Eden CEO Dan Cain. “The expectation is for peo- ple to move from a level of dys- function to function,” said Cain. The company manages or owns nine buildings in the Twin Cities, totaling 550 units, that help people get off the RS Eden President and CEO Dan Cain hopes the city will consider con- streets and into stable housing. structing a pedestrian bridge near 45th and Hiawatha to serve residents, in- cluding high-density housing projects at Amber Apartments and the Snelling The company began with just RS Eden Chief Financial Advisor Paul Puerzer (left) and President and three staff members and now Yards site. Right now, people regularly cross Hiawatha near 45th instead of CEO Dan Cain hold up an illustration of Amber Apartments, an 80-unit walking down to the crosswalk at 46th. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen) has 180 employees. In each building that will provide extremely affordable housing along Hiawatha and building, there are also services 45th Ave. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen) aimed at dealing with problems barriers to securing housing, ute to the community and take that contributed to homeless- making it easy for landlords responsibility for their own ness, including addiction, men- Low barrier housing and being responsible citizens, to screen them out. RS Eden’s lives. There are any number of tal health issues, lack of educa- RS Eden employees envision and not have to spend 50% or commitment is to ‘screen peo- barriers that people have had to tion, and more. filling Amber Apartments with more of what little income they ple in.’ We look for reasons overcome to make that full leap The goal of the Amber tenants who are working but have on rent,” stated Cain. to believe that a prospective from where they’re coming to Apartments in Longfellow is to don’t make enough to afford Residents at RS Eden apart- tenant will make it, and be- where they’re going.” provide efficiency, single-oc- market-rate housing—even ments often can’t pass back- come a good neighbor.” He added, “It’s breaking cupancy units at about $600 a what’s labeled as “affordable.” ground checks and don’t have RS Eden focuses on creat- the cycle.” month. Maybe they’re working at a cou- high credit scores. So RS Eden ing intentional communities Right now there are some “We’re not giving people a ple of part-time jobs. Or, they offers “low barrier housing.” in their buildings. “We look for people who aren’t being served handout, but a hand up,” ex- work next door at Walgreens or According to RS Eden Vice people who have buy-in to a by the housing projects RS Eden plained Cain. “They have to do Cub as a cashier earning mini- President of Supportive Hous- culture of pro-social values and already offers as they aren’t tech- the work, but we provide the mum wage. ing Lois Mueller, “Many of the beliefs,” explained Cain. “They nically homeless because they’re opportunity.” “This will allow them to con- people we meet have histories may not have always been that, tinue in the process of working that have resulted in multiple but now they want to contrib- Continued on page 2 Program focuses on seniors at risk of isolation and loneliness By JAN WILLMS zation is to end social isolation It is nearly 5pm on a Mon- and loneliness among older day, and Longfellow resident adults in the Twin Cities. Jim Buskirk is anticipating a Although the program of visitor. He is looking forward visiting companions has al- to conversation and a challeng- ways been a part of LBFE, a new ing game of tic, a card game project, Neighbor Connect, is similar to gin rummy. starting now in the Longfellow Emily Wildberger has fin- neighborhood. ished her work day as a proj- “Through Neighbor Con- ect manager for Target Corpo- nect, Longfellow communi- ration. She is nearing the due ty members will forge a path date of her pregnancy and is toward creating isolation-free tired and ready for a nap. blocks to ensure everyone, even But all those feelings dis- those who live alone, are con- appear as she looks forward to nected and feel a sense of be- meeting her friend Jim, hop- longing,” said LuAnne Speeter, ing that this evening she might communications director for actually win a card game with LBFE. him. Both Wildberger and Bus- Buskirk and Wildberger are kirk can attest to the benefits of part of a program initiated by connecting with each other. They Little Brothers Friends of the began their visits last January. Elderly (LBFE), 1845 E. Lake Longfellow resident Jim Buskirk (left) is visited by Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly volunteer Emily Wildberger St. The mission of the organi- Continued on page 3 every other week. (Photo by Jan Willms) $2,100-2,800. Affordable housing Rental vacancies in the project Twin Cities have dropped to 2.4 percent while the unem- Continued from page 1 ployment rate has dropped to staying with a mom or brother 2.9 percent resulting in low or friend. Amber Apartments will rental vacancies and strong provide a place for those people, rent growth, according to the said Mueller. Dougherty study. Meanwhile, When RS Eden opens a new the compensation for private building, they often find that market workers in 2017 in- police calls go up in the area. creased just 1.4 percent, mak- It’s not because there is more ing it difficult for low-income crime in the RS Eden building, wage earners to find housing. but because the residents of the “There has been a lot RS Eden building are calling in of attention recently on the about the crime they see in the homeless encampment along streets around their homes, ob- Hiawatha Ave., but we’ve been served Cain. facing a crisis in homelessness One of the first steps RS far before those tents went Eden took in getting this proj- up—it just hasn’t been quite ect off the ground was to visit as visible,” remarked Minne- with the Longfellow Communi- apolis City Council member ty Council and garner support. Andrew Johnson. “The Amber “We look for a neighbor- Apartments proposal helps hood that will support the tran- address this crisis by creating sition for people to become in- Amber Apartments is being named after RS Eden President and CEO Dan Cain’s daughter as a legacy project to some units for homeless in- volved in their communities,” honor the 46 years he’s been with the organization. The majority of the $18 million cost of the project will be cov- dividuals and families, along stated Cain. ered by various grants and low-income housing tax credits, but RS Eden needs to raise $700,000. (Photo by Tesha with providing necessary sup- It wasn’t until the LCC M. Christensen) port services, such as helping Neighborhood Development them get and keep jobs. It also and Transportation Committee will consider constructing a pe- be covered by various grants affordable housing, according creates additional units that approved the project that RS destrian bridge near 45th and and low-income housing tax to Mueller, who pointed out help address the affordable Eden purchased the property. Hiawatha to serve residents, in- credits, but RS Eden needs to that the city is in need of tens of housing crisis hitting many cluding high-density housing raise $700,000. Donations thousands of affordable housing major cities, including ours, Five-story, 80 unit building projects at Amber Apartments can be made via the website at units according to a study by the with runaway rents that push Amber Apartments will be lo- and the Snelling Yards site. www.rseden.org. Dougherty Financial Group. The working families out and de- cated on the property that Planners expect Amber definition of affordable housing stabilize their lives. now houses the Bell Labo- Donations needed Apartments to be fully fund- is housing costs that are 30% “We need more develop- ment proposals like this and I ratory building, just north of Amber Apartments is being ed by the end of 2019, and to of a person’s income. To afford Walgreens along Hiawatha Ave. named after Cain’s daughter as start construction shortly after rent payments of $700-$900 a am thankful to have RS Eden as and kitty-corner from the up- a legacy project to honor the that. It will take 10-11 months person must make between a partner in these efforts.” coming Snelling Yards housing 46 years he’s been with the or- to complete. development. It does not in- ganization. clude the historic Flair Foun- The majority of the $18 An affordable housing crisis tain structure. million cost of the project will Minneapolis is in high need of The five-story, 53,950 square-foot building will sit on BUY LOCAL one acre.