At a time when homelessness is on the rise in the Twin Cities and across the nation, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund is proud to celebrate the work of Center City Housing Corporation and its Grand Opening of Cahill Place, a 40-unit permanent supportive housing development that will serve families moving out of homelessness.
Cahill Place, a newly constructed and recently opened site in Inver Grove Heights, provides families with the stable, supportive environment needed to address challenges that may have caused their homelessness, such as the inability to work, mental health barriers, or disability. The apartments have two or three bedrooms, and Dakota County is providing rental assistance so families pay no more than one-third of their income on rent.
Cahill Place provides specialized support for children and adults, with a focused approach on families that come with unmet needs. According to Nancy Cashman, Executive Director of Center City, research shows that 70-80% of children who are in homeless shelters have a developmental delay. The facility includes a Tots Program for children from birth through age six, and staff create education plans for each child. Cahill Place staff work closely with the parent and child to keep development on track. Adults work through a Goal Plan and enroll in school or get assistance in finding quality jobs. All residents have access to mental, chemical, and physical health services.
Said Rakyia Kennedy-Marshall, a new resident with three children, “This next journey in my life at Cahill is going to be so much better because you have the workers on-site, you have the day care on-site, the girls can play on-site. It’s just all this help that I’m going to take advantage of. I’m trying to be a better me. I don’t want to just look at the place (Cahill), I want to feel like the place — new too.”
Financing for the $13 million apartment building came from the Dakota County Community Development Agency, Minnesota Housing, Minnesota Equity Fund, and the Metropolitan Council.
Minnesota Equity Fund, a subsidiary of Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, provided $3.2 million in equity to the project. Said Warren Hanson, President & CEO of Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, “Our highest priority is serving the urgent needs of Minnesota’s homeless families and individuals, to have stable housing and live in dignity.” Cahill Place is one of many homelessness supportive housing projects financed through Minnesota Equity Fund and Greater Minnesota Housing Fund.
