Acknowledging that a new data collection process may influence our year-over-year comparison, overall 2022 rental housing production totals (5,488 units) are more or less in line with recent years' totals (less than 7,491 units in 2021, yet more than 4,683 in 2020). In 2022, new production accounted for the majority of affordable units counted in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, whereas the majority of units counted in 2021 were affordability preservation of existing units. New construction in Minneapolis and Saint Paul increased from just 20% of affordable units created in 2021 to 59% of affordable units counted in 2022. Without strong enrollment of new 4D participants (a continuing success story), that new production/preservation reversal would have been even more stark.
Even with these successes, the need for affordable housing far outstrips availability, and we continue to see the loss of “naturally occurring affordable housing” (NOAH) stock. However, it is important to note that the Twin Cities region is experiencing a sustained period of strong affordable rental production; since 2016, each year is exceeding any total we’ve seen since our metro-wide reporting began in 2004.
Each year since 2002, Family Housing Fund and HousingLink jointly publish data to provide housing leaders and stakeholders with a consistent means of tracking annual affordable housing production, preservation, and loss. The dataset provides an annual accounting of affordable housing projects in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and suburban communities, offering a systematic and consistent way of measuring progress to municipal and regional affordable housing goals.
When tracking new production and preservation of affordable housing, there are several points in time when a unit could be “counted.” HousingLink and Family Housing Fund have chosen to count units in the year their funding first closes. Only developments with public and/private capital funding with affordability obligations are listed.
Housing Counts 2002-2022
Reports prior to 2022 are available within our Housing Counts 2002-2022 compilation
Notes on the data:
Questions about the data?
Dan Hylton
Research Manager
HousingLink
dhylton@housinglink.org
Media Inquiries
Sue Speakman-Gomez
President
HousingLink
sgomez@housinglink.org
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