HousingLink's Online Directory of Affordable Rental Housing is a tool that allows you to perform customized searches for affordable rental housing in the seven-county Metro area and select regions in Greater Minnesota.  

You may search for housing by selecting any one or multiple search criteria. For instance, you may want to search for properties containing units with a specific bedroom size that is within a certain city. 

The default for each category is "All." 

• If you do not select any search criteria for a category, the Online Directory will search for properties using all of the search criteria within that category. 

• If you do not select any criteria from any of the search criteria categories, your results list will contain all properties with vacancies and waiting lists that exist in the Online Directory.

When you have made your selections:

1. Use the black arrows (>>) to move your selected items from the left list box to the right list box.

2. Click the Submit Housing Search button at the top or bottom of the page to obtain your results.

3. A Search Results list will display showing summary information for all properties that match the combination of criteria you selected. All these properties have open waiting lists and available vacancies.

For further detail about a property or program, click on the underlined property name, such as Main Street Apartments, on the results page. Additional help for the Search Results page is available by selecting the various “?” buttons on the page.

§       Directions:

1. Click on a City in which you want to search. 

2. When the City is highlighted in blue, click on the double right arrows (>>) to the right of the “Cities” column.

3. The City you select will appear in the column to the right, labeled “Selected Cities." More than one City per search may be selected.

4. When you are done selecting all the desired criteria from all categories, click on one of the “Submit Housing Search” buttons located at the top and bottom of the page.

Options:

1. Select none: When no Cities are selected, a search for affordable housing will be performed in all Cities listed in the City selection box.

2. Select one or more: When you select one City or multiple Cities, a search for affordable housing will be performed in only those Cities selected.

3. Check the box labeled “Display the cities located in the seven-county Metro area only”: When you check this box, the City selection list will display only the cities in the seven-county Metro area for you to select from.  

Directions:

1. Click on a County in which you want to search.

2. When the county is highlighted in blue, click on the double right arrows (>>) to the right of the “Counties” column. 

3. The County you select will appear in the column to the right, labeled “Selected Counties.”

4.  More than one County per search may be selected.

5. When you are done selecting all the desired criteria from all categories, click on one of the “Submit Housing Search” buttons located at the top and bottom of the page.

Options:

1. Select none:  When no Counties are selected, a search for affordable housing will be performed in all Counties listed in the County selection box.

2. Select one or more: When you select one County or multiple Counties, a search for affordable housing will be performed in only those Counties selected.

3. Check the box labeled “Display the counties located in the seven-county Metro area only”: When you check this box, the County selection list will display only the counties in the seven-county Metro area for you to select from.  

Building Type refers to the structural classification of the building. The definitions are as follows:

•  2, 3, 4 plex/es: A building comprised of 2-4 units. Also, sets of buildings with 2-4 units in each building. 

• Apartment: A building or set of buildings with 5 or more units per building.

• Congregate Housing: Permanent housing for people ages 55 and over. These residences usually provide one meal a day. 

• Dorm/Single Room Occupancy (SRO): A building with individual or shared bedrooms and a shared kitchen or bath.

• Scattered Housing: Housing may be of various building types and at various locations, though all part of the same company or organization.

• Secure Your Own Housing (SYOH): Some programs with support services don’t directly provide housing for their clientele, but provide a housing subsidy/voucher with which the client is responsible for locating their own unit to rent.

• Shared Housing: Housing provided for adults who are not related and who want to share living space.

• Single-Family Home: A property designed for one family that is not attached to any other buildings. 

• Townhomes: A single-family home that is usually attached to one or more single-family homes.

Directions:

1. Click on a Building Type for which you want to search. 

2. When the Building Type is highlighted in blue, click on the double right arrows (>>) to the right of the “Types” column.

3. The Building Type you select will appear in the column to the right, labeled “Selected Types.” More than one Building Type per search may be selected.

4. When you are done selecting all the desired criteria from all categories, click on one of the “Submit Housing Search” buttons located at the top and bottom of the page.

§  Options:

• Select none: When no Building Types are selected, a search for affordable housing will be performed using all Building Types listed in the Building Type selection list.

• Select one or more: When you select one Building Type or multiple Building Types, a search for affordable housing will be performed using only those Building Types selected.

Some properties provide residency primarily, or only, to certain groups of people. Such groups can include different age groups, seniors, disabled, or single men or women. 

Directions:

1. Click on a Group Served for which you want to search. 

2. When the Group is highlighted in blue, click on the double right arrows (>>) to the right of the “Groups” column.   

3. The Group you select will appear in the column to the right, labeled “Selected Groups.” More than one Group per search may be selected.

4. When you are done selecting all the desired criteria from all categories, click on one of the “Submit Housing Search” buttons located at the top and bottom of the page.

      Options:

• Select none:  When no Groups are selected, a search for affordable housing will be performed using all Groups Served in the Groups Served selection list.

• Select one or more: When you select one Group or multiple Groups, a search for affordable housing will be performed using only those Groups selected.  

Some properties provide affordable units in their building by participating in affordable housing programs administered by local, state or federal government agencies, or private organizations. The definitions of these programs are as follows:

Housing Programs

Directions:

1. Click on the Housing Program for which you want to search.

2. When the Housing Program is highlighted in blue, click on the double right arrows (>>) to the right of the “Programs” column.

3. The Program you select will appear in the column to the right, labeled “Selected Programs.” More than one Housing Program per search may be selected.

4. When you are done selecting all the desired criteria from all categories, click on one of the “Submit Housing Search” buttons located at the top and bottom of the page.  

Directions:

1. Click on a number of Bedrooms you want/need in a property.

2. When the Bedroom number is highlighted in blue, click on the double right arrows (>>) to the right of the “Number of Bedrooms” column.

3. The Bedroom size you select will appear in the column to the right, labeled “Selected Bedrooms.” More than one Bedroom Size per search may be selected.

4. When you are done selecting all the desired criteria from all categories, click on one of the “Submit Housing Search” buttons located at the top and bottom of the page.

The term Accessibility refers to various physical features of a building that make it easier for people with physical disabilities to independently use/access the building. Such features can include easily-operated door handles, no-step approaches to the building and grab bars in the bathroom.

Options:

• Select none: By neither choosing “Yes” nor “No,” your search will include properties both WITH and WITHOUT accessibility features. This is a good option if accessibility features are not absolutely necessary for your needs; leaving this option blank will increase the results of your search.

• Select “Yes”: When you choose “Yes” for this option, your search will include only properties that have accessibility features available.

• Select “No”: When you choose “No” for this option, your search will include only properties that DO NOT have accessibility features.  

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Target Situation refers to characteristics that housing seekers may possess that can act as barriers to acquiring and maintaining affordable housing.

Examples of Target Situations include people living with HIV/AIDS, people with mental illness, and people with chemical dependency. Properties that list a Target Situation generally serve primarily, and sometimes only, renters in those target populations, and generally provide Support Services (counseling, medication management, job training, etc.) to serve that target population.

Directions:

1. Click on a Target Situation that applies to the person who needs housing.

2. When the Target Situation is highlighted in blue, click on the double right arrows (>>) to the right of the “Target Situations” column.

3. The Target Situation you select will appear in the column to the right, labeled “Selected Target Situations.” More than one Target Situation per search may be selected.

4. When you are done selecting all the desired criteria from all categories, click on one of the “Submit Housing Search” buttons located at the top and bottom of the page.  

Options:

• Select none: By choosing no Target Situations, your search will include properties both WITH and WITHOUT Target Situations. This is a good option if Target Situations are not absolutely necessary for your needs; leaving this option blank will increase the results of your search.

• Select one or more: When you choose one or multiple Target Situations, your search will include only properties that offer the selected Target Situations.  

Services are often provided at properties by programs that serve specific renters such as renters in target situations. Services are made available at these properties for residents in order to eliminate the barriers that may keep them from acquiring and/or maintaining affordable housing. Examples of support services include case management, medication management, and life skills. Directions:

1. Click on a Service Provided that is needed by the person who is looking for housing.

2. When the Service Provided is highlighted in blue, click on the double right arrows (>>) to the right of the “Services Provided” column.

3. The Service Provided you select will appear in the column to the right, labeled “Selected Services Provided.” More than one Service Provided per search may be selected.

4.  When you are done selecting all the desired criteria from all categories, click on one of the “Submit Housing Search” buttons located at the top and bottom of the page.

Options:

•  Select none: By choosing no Services Provided, your search will include properties both WITH and WITHOUT Service Provided. This is a good option if Services Provided are not absolutely necessary for your needs; leaving this option blank will increase the results of your search.

• Select one or more: When you choose one or multiple Services Provided, your search will include only properties that offer the selected Services Provided.

You may type in any part of a property name or street address to search for a specific property or to search on a specific street. Example: If there was a property somewhere on Maple St in Eagan that you like, but you’re unsure of the exact address, you can type in any of the following as search options to see if there are any matches in our database:  

• Maple

• Eagan

• Maple St

Or, if you saw a development called “Sunset Manor,” but can’t remember where it was, just type in Sunset Manor to search for possible matches in our database.