>> ERIC: EVERY YEAR, THE MINNESOTA HOUSING AGENCY FUNDS A SELECT NUMBER OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACROSS THE STATE.

THIS YEAR, THE LEGISLATURE INCREASED THE AGENCY'S FUNDING TO MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS, AND EARLIER TODAY, THE PROJECT SELECTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR WERE ANNOUNCED.

HERE WITH MORE, HOUSING ^+ ^+ COMMISSIONER JENNIFER HO.

>> WE'VE ASSIGNED $350 MILLION TO PROJECTS TODAY.

>> Eric: I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY, THIS IS A STATEWIDE DEAL.

>> BSOLUTELY.

EVERY SINGLE CORNER OF THE STATE NEEDS HOUSING AND WE'RE DOING ALL KINDS OF HOUSING.

AFFORDABLE RENTAL, AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP AND WE'RE IMPROVING MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITIES.

>> Cathy: DO YOU HAVE SENIOR HOUSING INVOLVED IN THIS TOO?

>> WE'VE GOT BABIES, SENIORS, EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

IT'S REALLY ABOUT THINKING ABOUT WHO IS IT THAT NEEDS GOVERNMENT ASSIST TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR HOME?

>> Eric: WHAT IS THE PRICE OF A STARTER HOME SAY IN THE METRO?

IS IT 250,000, $300,000.

>> I LWAYS LAUGH WHEN I STARTER HOME, IT IS A FOREVER HOME FOR THEM.

BUT I THINK THE PRICE OF GETTING INTO A NEW HOME, IT VARIES AROUND THE STATE.

BUT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IT'S JUST OUT OF REACH AND INTEREST RATES ARE HIGH.

HOME PRICES ARE RISING.

>> Eric: SO THIS 1.3 BILLION WOULD DO WHAT TO WORK ON THAT?

>> IT COVERS EVERYTHING FROM PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS TO HELPING PEOPLE BUY A NEW HOME.

WHAT WE DID TODAY IS REALLY THE ATTACHING FUNDING TO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT PRODUCTION OR ABOUT PRESERVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OUT THERE.

WE KNOW WE NEED MORE UNITS OF HOUSING THAT IS AFFORDABLE.

AND SO A BIG PART OF THIS IS HELPING PEOPLE REHAB HOMES AND RESELL THEM AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE.

IT'S ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE IN SOME OF THE MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITIES, IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT PROBLEMS WITH WATER, SEWER, ROADS, SIDEWALKS.

AND IT'S ABOUT CREATING AND PRESERVING RENTAL HOUSING - THAT'S REALLY AIMED TOWARDS WORKING MINNESOTANS WHO MAKE THE LEAST OR PEOPLE WHO ARE ON A FIXED INCOME.

>> Cathy: GIVE US AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS.

THERE WAS A NICE OUTLINE THERE, BUT MAYBE PICK A PROJECT SOMEWHERE IN GREATER MINNESOTA AND SOMEWHERE IN THE TWIN CITIES.

>> I'M EXCITED ABOUT EVERYTHING WE DO.

WE WERE IN GOLDEN VALEY THIS MORNING AND THAT'S HAD A GREAT PROGRAM, GOLDEN VALLEY REALLY HAS BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO IN THE HOUSING FRONT.

AND THEY ACTUALLY HAD THE CITY, RIGHT, THE WRITE THE PROPOSAL TO US, AND THEN THAT'S GOING TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR SOME DEVELOPERS WHO MAYBE WEREN'T QUITE READY TO NAVIGATE A STATE PROCESS, TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.

IT'S GOING TO BE A DUPLEXES, TOWN HOMES, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO OWN A HOME IN THE GOLDEN VALLEY COMMUNITY.

WE'RE DOING SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECTS.

WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A HISTORY OF HOMELESSNESS.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE INTO A UNIT.

WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF THOSE GOING ON AROUND THE STATE.

WE'VE GOT DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE TARGETED AT FAMILIES.

AND AGAIN, THE MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITIES, THOSE REALLY HIT GEOGRAPHY ALL OVER GREATER MINNESOTA.

AND THAT'S, AGAIN, THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT COMMUNITY LIVEABLE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE.

>> Cathy: KATELYN WAS JUST HERE OBVIOUSLY AND TALKING ABOUT THE SITUATION WITH THE ENCAMPMENT OF ATIVE AMERICANS AND I KNOW YOU'VE WORKED WITH THE HOMELESS.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GET INTO FOOT WHEN YOUAFFORDABLE HOUSING WHEN YOU HEAR A SITUATION LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON IN MINNEAPOLIS?

>> I LOVE THAT KATELYN WAS TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE STAYING IN THE ENCAMPMENT.

AND IF SOMEBODY'S GOT A RANGE OF PROBLEMS OR A LONG HISTORY OF HOMELESSNESS, YOU DON'T JUST PUT SOMEBODY IN AN APARTMENT AND HAND THEM THE KEY AND SAY GOOD LUCK.

I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING FOR UNITS THAT ARE DEEPY SUBSIDIZED.

WHERE YOU HAVE A SOCIAL WORKER, WHO'S THERE TO HELP YOU, ONE, PREPARE TO MOVE IN, BUT IT ALSO GOING TO CHECK IN ON YOU AND HELP YOU CONNECT TO THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THAT SUCCESSFUL.

WHAT WE KNOW AND WE'VE PROVEN IT HERE, WE'VE PROVEN IT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY IS THAT PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREETS CAN SUCCEED IN HOUSING IF IT'S HOUSING ON THEIR TERMS.

THERE'S NOT A BUNCH OF RULES.

YOU FOLLOW BASIC RULES.

YOU PAY YOUR RENT ON TIME.

YOU KNOW, DON'T PUNCH HOLES IN THE WALL.

DON'T HURT YOUR NEIGHBORS.

IF YOU'RE A GOOD RESIDENT, YOU HAVE THE SUPPORT YOU NEED.

>> Eric: ARE THERE MECHANISMS TO CHART THAT THE MONEY IS BEING USED APPROPRIATELY.

>> WHEN WE INVEST IN HOUSING, YOU'RE A PARTNER WITH US FOR THE LONG HAUL, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES YOU'RE COMMITTING TO 30, 40, EVEN 50 YEARS OF AFFORDABILITY IN THAT UNIT.

SO, YEAH, I MEAN, THE TEAM THAT PUT THE ANNOUNCEMENTS OUT TODAY IS THE TEAM THAT SAY, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO FUND NEXT?

BUT I'VE GOT A WHOLE EXTENDED WARRANTY GROUP, OUR COMPLIANCE TEAM, THAT IS THERE WORKING WITH THESE PROJECTS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THEY COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH PEOPLE WITH A CERTAIN INCOME, THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT THE PROPERTY IS WELL KEPT, THEY'RE MAKING SURE THEY'RE PRONS RESPONSIVE.

SO A RELATIONSHIP WITH MINNESOTA HOUSING SIGNIFICANT LONG TERM ONE.

>> Cathy: I CAN JUST SEE AND I KNOW YOU'VE WORKED ON HIS FOR SO LONG.

BUT YOUR EYES LIGHT UP.

IT'S REALLY INTERESTING TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THIS.

>> I, YOU KNOW, I GET TO GO HOME EVERY NIGHT TO A PLACE WHERE I HAVE THE KEY.

AND I EAT WHEN I WANT, I SHOWER WHEN I NEED TO AND NOBODY TELLS ME WHAT TO DO AND I KNOW THAT THAT HOUSING STABILITY IS A PART OF WHAT LETS ME DO MY JOB.

AND SO THE OPPORTUNITY THAT TODAY WE'RE GOING TO INVEST IN 4,700 SOME ODD UNITS TO MAKE SURE HAT PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT WHEN THEY GO HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY, I MEAN, WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN THAT?

>> Eric: CONGRATULATIONS.

A GOOD