Where We Live

“Where We Began” tells the origin story of the Agency, from the kernel of an idea to its inception and subsequent growth over the decades. Early Commissioner Jim Solem reads from the original 1971 charge and notes it still rings true today. The chapter covers Minnesota Housing’s early years, how its work helps Minnesotans achieve housing stability, and how the Agency has matured over the past five decades.

In “Sleeping Through the Night,” Agency and community leaders talk about the egregiousness of homelessness and what can be done to reduce the number of people sleeping outside.

The chapter features the story of Minneapolis resident Essence and her three children as they move into an apartment after months of struggling with homelessness.

“Unacceptably Low” explores obstacles households of color face when trying to achieve homeownership.

Minnesota’s homeownership disparity between Black and white households is among the worst in the nation.

First-time homebuyer Maurice in St. Louis Park talks about what it means to him to have bucked that trend.

“Righting the Wrongs” addresses racist policy decisions made in the past that continue to disadvantage Minnesota households of color today.

The story features a new affordable senior housing development in Minneapolis and innovative Tribal developments in Greater Minnesota. It also addresses the Agency’s role in righting historic wrongs.

In “Better Together,” two dynamic women, Bev Adrian and Natividad Seefeldt, share their journeys in pursuing a cooperative ownership model in which residents own their home as well as the land under it. Doing so insulates them from potential sales of their communities that could displace residents. Investing in manufactured housing infrastructure is an emerging area at Minnesota Housing.

In “Do We Have the Political Will?,” Agency leaders grapple with today’s challenges like the pandemic, its economic fallout, and calls for racial justice. They look ahead to difficult questions like whether we have the political will, as a society, to end homelessness. Commissioner Ho envisions a time when the state centers the housing needs of Minnesotans of color, those experiencing homelessness, and those who make the least.

For a brief overview of “Where We Live,” watch the two-minute trailer.

The short piece provides a glimpse of each of the individual chapters and topics of homelessness, rental housing, homeownership and manufactured housing.

We hope it will entice viewers to watch the full film.