Affordable housing across the county

Partnering to promote housing choice for cities big and small.

Enclave Overlook in Rockford, which will provide 48 units affordable to families and individuals with incomes at 60% or less of the area median income.

Choosing where you live is critical to making the best decisions for your life and your family. That’s why we make it a priority to fund affordable housing projects across the county, providing a diversity of housing choice for people who have varying needs and situations.

Recently, along with our city partners, we have supported two affordable housing projects in the outermost boundaries of the county—Enclave Overlook in Rockford and Rogers Mainstreet Senior Housing located in downtown Rogers. Both developments are currently under construction, and when open they’ll provide a joint 88 units of affordable housing in areas with growing populations.

A map of Hennepin County showing district boundaries, with stars representing two new affordable housing projects in Rogers and Rockford.

Enclave Overlook

About 40 minutes outside of Minneapolis, the city of Rockford has a growing population and expanding number of employers. That’s why developments like Enclave Overlook by developer Sand Companies are so critical—the new construction project will provide 48 units affordable to families and individuals with incomes at 60% or less of the area median income. Ten units are affordable to households earning 30% or less of the area median income and set aside for people experiencing long term homelessness and people with disabilities. The project overlooks the gorgeous Crow River and is a short bike ride via the Rebecca Park Trail to the Rockford Community Center and High School and the Lake Rebecca Park Reserve.

The City of Rockford was a key partner in the project’s development, supporting Enclave by entering into a Planned Development Agreement in which they have agreed to waive 75% of all sewer and water access fees to the building.

Rogers Mainstreet Senior Housing

A new housing project is underway in downtown Rogers. Rogers Mainstreet Senior Housing, by Duffy Development, is part of a larger plan to convert underutilized sites to updated community assets. This senior housing development will create 40 units of senior housing, and a 64-unit building and senior center will follow.

All units at Rogers Mainstreet will be reserved for households at or below 50% of the area median income. Four of those units will be affordable to households earning 30% of the area median income and set aside for households exiting homelessness. New residents will have prime seating for the annual Main Street parade, and will be steps from the Senior Center, Veterans’ Memorial, churches, and parks.

The City of Rogers has supported this project by providing tax increment financing to fund the project and sold the land for the development at a significant discount.

How more cities can bring affordable housing to their communities

Cities large or small can be instrumental in spurring affordable housing development in their communities. The type of support that a city may be able to provide varies from city to city and project to project, but there are many kinds of support that help projects get to the finish line. Affordable housing developments in Hennepin County have recently benefited from:

• Cities making underutilized city-owned land available at a discount for affordable housing development via Requests for Proposals or other mechanism
• Cities considering zoning policies that:
  • Allow for more unique housing types
  • Add inclusionary zoning
  • Reduce parking requirements
• Cities waiving fees, including permit fees, park fees, and sewer access fees
• Cities providing direct financial support, such as through tax increment financing (TIF), Local Affordable Housing Aid, or other sources
• Cities issuing multifamily housing revenue bonds in support of affordable housing projects, via the Minnesota office of Management and Budget process.

City partners are encouraged to reach out to Hennepin staff at any time with questions about affordable housing development at housing@hennepin.us.