Ms. Hatanpa moved and Ms. Melby-Kelley seconded a motion to approve the Economic Development Authority minutes of the Regular Meeting of April 14, 2025, as written. The motion carried unanimously.

Ms. Bokelmann stated that the EDA identified the need for a local Housing Trust Fund during the development of the Affordable Housing Action Plan and established an ordinance on August 26, 2024. She indicated that the EDA began the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) using Statewide Affordable Housing Aid funding received and leveraged additional general funds to seek state matching dollars to expand the AHTF and support the PCLT this past April. 

Ms. Bokelmann commented that Mankato EDA and the Blue Earth County EDA collaboratively entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to focus attention on affordable housing issues, encourage sharing of information on successful policies and programs, and provide joint planning for a consistent approach that will help attract public and private resources for developing affordable housing. She added that the MOU also laid out the shared decision-making between both EDAs and the work of an advisory committee to develop an annual action plan and review and recommend loans and grants to create, acquire, and rehabilitate affordable housing as well as prevent and end homelessness. She noted that staff solicited interest from community stakeholders to be considered for membership of the AHTF Advisory Committee. 

Ms. Bokelmann reported that the committee shall consist of one City of Mankato staff member, one Blue Earth County staff member, two community members appointed by the EDA of Mankato, and two community members appointed by the EDA of Blue Earth County. She mentioned that the committee make-up will reflect the demographics of the community at large, specific to race and gender and represent business and community organizations, non-profit service providers, community-based organizations or foundations. She touched on the terms and mentioned that no EDA-appointed person may serve more than three complete, successive terms as a committee member. Staff are recommending the following individuals to be appointed to the AHTF Advisory Committee:

         Amy Jo Lennartson with the Mankato Foundation
         Barb Kaus with the Greater Mankato Area United Way, and
         Ceceli Polzin with the YWCA Mankato
 
Ms. Melby-Kelley moved and Mr. Laven seconded the motion appointing members to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Advisory Committee as presented. The motion carried unanimously. 

Ms. Bokelmann reported that an update is being provided by Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWMHP) on the Partnership Community Land Trust (PCLT) activities in Mankato.

Jen Theneman, Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership, Director of Real Estate & Community Development, indicated that the goal of the program is to make housing ownership possible for low-income families. She explained the process and noted that Phase I has been completed, which focused on three acquisition/rehabilitation homes. She noted that the city contribution acted as a write-down/reduction of the purchase price, the Community Development Block Grant funds addressed health and safety needs, and the City paid $5,000 per home for SWMHP administration services after closing.
 
Ms. Theneman stated that Phase II focused on three new construction homes. She mentioned that the city and SWMHP contributions acted as a write-down/reduction of the purchase price and were used as leverage to secure funds through the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) and Target Foundation. She commented that a home was purchased from Heartland Homes/Drummer Construction and made available for a new homebuyer who purchased and closed in October 2024. She added that SWMHP purchased two lots in the Groh Farms subdivision in partnership with Drummer Development/Wilcon Construction in March 2024 and the homes are currently under construction and expected to be completed this month with an anticipated sale of both to occur in June 2025 which will close out this contract phase.

Ms. Theneman indicated that Phase III will focus on two new construction homes and five acquisition/rehabilitation homes with similar contributions as used in Phase I and II. She indicated that Phase III and IV would be done somewhat simultaneously. stated that for Phase IV SWMHP has leveraged existing funds to secure a New Market Tax Credit award for 10 homes in Mankato for this phase. She added that they are currently evaluating a list of 12 parcels on which to build and anticipate purchase before June 2025. She noted that when the parcel is identified, SWMHP staff will select home concepts and request bids from contractors and are planning for a late Fall 2025 construction start, with homes available for purchase by Summer 2026.
Ms. Bokelmann concluded that the Partnership Community Land Trust is requesting the County to enter a service contract for Phase IV of the land trust activities in the City of Mankato. She mentioned that on June 25, 2024, the EDA adopted a resolution supporting an application to Minnesota Housing for Phase IV. She stated that the contract contemplates a total of $250,000 of EDA Funding through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. 

Mr. Laven moved and Mr. McLaughlin seconded a motion to approve the Resolution authorizing the execution of the Partnership Community Land Trust Phase IV contract. The motion carried unanimously. 

Ms. Bokelmann reported that the Point-in-Time (PIT) count is an annual nationwide count of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on a single night. She stated that the count is required by and reported to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is conducted locally by Minnesota’s 10 Continuums of Care (CoCs), which are local collaboratives of homelessness service providers.

Ms. Bokelmann indicated that the count includes everyone who is in unsheltered situations as well as in shelter and housing on one night and also includes all programs designated for housing or sheltering people experiencing homelessness. She explained that the count is conducted to measure and monitor trends and changes on a local and national level and is intended to help our community understand what we have and need, and to strategize the best ways to use resources.   

Ms. Bokelmann indicated that although updated information is not available on the Housing Inventory (HIC), which is an inventory of provider programs within a CoC that provide beds and units dedicated to serving people experiencing homelessness, on the same night each year, the count of units and the availability of the units is also completed. She noted that the count includes all housing projects regardless of where they receive funding (i.e. emergency shelters, transitional housing, rapid re-housing programs that provide short- or medium-term assistance, permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless people, residential programs for the homeless, faith-based residential programs and interfaith hospitality networks).