 | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
533 Dale St. N St. Paul, MN 55103
Ph) 651-789-7400 Fax) 651-789-7401
Greater Frogtown CDC in the News
| ||||
Recent Articles in the
TwinCities Daily Planet
A number of articles report the progress of our co-development, Frogtown Square.
Orrick and Sitaramiah of the Pioneer Press wrote that "dogged determination by a quartet of neighborhood development corporations has paid off, and the $14 million mixed-use plan is poised to be among the first Central Corridor-friendly changes to the University Avenue landscape".
"Where Did All the Rental Units Go?"Article by: Karin Todd, Community Outreach Intern at Greater Frogtown Community Development Corporation - June 21, 2011
St Paul, MN – Like most communities in Minnesota, the Thomas-Dale neighborhood (typically referred to as Frogtown) is facing a massive foreclosure crisis. Wandering along any given block, vacant or condemned posters adorn at least one property’s exterior windows. Doors are boarded or screwed shut to attempt to prevent individuals from entering. Peering inside, one often finds a few items such as clothes and toys left behind by the previous inhabitants, forgotten in the moving chaos. As the months and years tick by, these properties become increasingly uninhabitable. Confronted with this housing epidemic, residents, neighborhood groups, and other stakeholders are left wondering what should become of these unoccupied buildings.
The various stakeholder groups have proposed different solutions. Some of the most vocal residents, believing in the “American Dream” rhetoric, are adamant that the vacant properties should be owner-occupied single-family homes. Absent landlords, inconsistent maintenance of the properties, overcrowding within the units, and poor rental screening procedures have left many leery of rental housing – and in some cases justifiably so. However, due to instability in the housing market, strict mortgage requirements, and downturn in the economy, these houses just aren’t selling.
Left empty, properties often become
incubators for criminal activity and/or
hazardous mold infestations. Eventually,
demolition becomes the only viable option.
Currently, there are approximately 100 vacant
lots in the Frogtown community.
This number is growing rapidly as properties
continue to be demolished.
Stories concerning homeowners in foreclosure
have dominated the media for the past few
years. But the story that often goes untold
is the impact the foreclosure crisis is having
on the renters. Of the 162 of the registered
vacant properties in Frogtown, 52 are duplexes.
That means over 100 households have been
forced to relocate because their landlord
failed to make mortgage payments, despite
receiving rent each month to cover the costs.
To complicate matters, current land-use policy
within Frogtown may mean many of these
rental units disappear permanently.
In 1997, community residents and city officials came together to reconfigure the land use within Frogtown. Ultimately, city council members decided future development should primarily consist of single-family homes. Current multi-family housing units were granted a non-conforming use permit, allowing the buildings to remain duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes. However, after a foreclosure, properties that remain vacant for over a year lose their non-conforming permit. This means if a developer or family were to purchase a property that was once considered a duplex or triplex, they have two options: convert the home into a single-family residence or work with the city to re-establish a nonconforming use permit. The process to acquire a permit is lengthy and time consuming. Applicants must go through the city zoning committee, neighborhood residents, and the Planning Commission. The opposition described previously often prevents permits from being obtained.
So, what does this mean for renters?
Greater Frogtown Community Development Corporation (GFCDC), in partnership with Project for Pride in Living, is attempting to launch an affordable rental program to address the need for high-quality, affordable rental housing. These organizations strive to ensure households aren’t cost burdened by their housing. However, when duplexes must be converted into single-family homes, households end up paying more in rent than they would if the property had remained a duplex. Lack of housing subsidy funds also limits organizations’ abilities to bring down rental costs, making it extremely difficult to keep housing costs down.
Long-term, the decrease in available rental housing will prompt an even greater demand on the few remaining units. Rent prices will continue to increase, further straining a household’s budget. Burdened by high housing costs, families will be hard pressed to pay for other basic necessities like food, childcare, and transportation costs. With a growing number of families displaced by the foreclosure crisis and the decrease in available rental units, one is left wondering where exactly people are ending up. Sadly, a recent report from the Minnesota Housing Partnership states since 2006, the number of homeless families in the metropolitan shelters has increase by 84%. It seems many aren’t finding alternative housing.
While this may seem like an extremely bleak situation, there is hope! Contact your local elected official today and ask them what he or she is doing to help renters who are affected by foreclosures. Ask your politician what he or she is doing to ensure renters don’t get pushed out (or priced out) of their community. Ask them what they are doing for you or the renters you know.
Everyone deserves a safe, well-maintained and affordable home. For many, renting really is the most affordable option. Be an advocate for renters by making a five minute phone call today!
Have questions or concerns? Contact Karin at Karin@greaterfrogtowncdc.org
Property in mid-demolition on Lafond Avenue. Picture taken 6/17/2011
