More than 500,000 Minnesotans are paying more than 30% of their net income toward rent, according to the Minnesota Housing Partnership. More than 60% are living paycheck-to-paycheck.
All it takes is a major crisis like an illness or an injury that prevents you from working and becoming homeless is a very real possibility. Or the simple reality of trying to live on Social Security benefits when the average monthly benefit payment is about $1,600! How can you afford rent when, according to rent.com, the average rate is about $1,500 for a one-bedroom apartment in Chaska?
One third of the Baby Boomers will be retiring soon and most of them do not have sufficient income or savings to retire with what will provide the lifestyle they have been accustomed to. When 90% of the available apartments are market rate units, where will all of these people find affordable housing?
We will need more subsidized buildings and housing vouchers for new renters. Currently, it is almost impossible for anyone to acquire a voucher as most county program waiting lists are closed with no way to get on a waiting list or to get a voucher. According to the rent-support group Bring It Home, Minnesota, more than 172,000 Minnesota households are eligible for federal rent vouchers but will never receive one! We must have more buildings that are voucher buildings and renters who have or can obtain vouchers.
When the city of Chaska was looking for a way to develop a vacant lot on Chestnut Street near the Minnesota River more than 10 years ago, they approached AEON, a non-profit developer, owner and manager of more than 5,700 quality affordable apartments and townhouses that provides more than 16,000 residents a place they can call home in the Twin Cities area each year.
After a few years of meetings and planning every detail, the city and AEON designed a beautiful building that welcomed people to the historic downtown area of Chaska — a building that allowed 55 low-income seniors to live comfortably in a modern well-designed building.
We need many more projects like The Senior Apartments to serve the seniors of Carver County. Contact your city leaders and your state Sen. Julia Coleman and state Rep. Lucy Rehm and urge them to support bills that will fund housing projects for our county, city and state.