Author: Juliann Wiersma

Groundbreaking Good News for Affordable Homeownership in St Peter
Community members and neighbors are invited to the Habitat for Humanity groundbreaking celebration!

St Peter, MN— A St Peter family of three marks an important milestone in the construction of their new home, and the community is invited to join in the groundbreaking celebration on August 6th at 3:30 pm, at 2032 Essler Drive, St Peter. The St Peter High School’s Building Trades Program has continued to partner with Habitat to meet the community’s need for affordable housing. The collaboration between Habitat and the Building Trades class allows for high schoolers to get hands-on building experience and an opportunity to participate in a project that has a lifelong impact on a Habitat family and the community.

Each year, the Building Trades class offers 12-18 students a rigorous and relevant hands-on learning curriculum that helps meet the community’s need for affordable housing. Habitat provides the building materials, and students build the home under the guidance of their teacher while they learn essential skills preparing them for occupations in the building trades. The Peterson family of three will be the 35th Habitat family in St Peter. Habitat is committed to continuing to offer families in St Peter the option to attain homeownership affordably. Families with access to affordable homeownership offer them a hand up, not a handout creating improved safety, child education attainment, and building generational wealth. The St Peter Building Trades teacher and students are a vital part of this mission.

The Peterson family of three will be the 35th Habitat family in St Peter. Habitat is committed to continuing to offer families in St Peter the option to attain homeownership affordably. Families with access to affordable homeownership offer them a hand up, not a handout creating improved safety, child education attainment, and building generational wealth. The St Peter Building Trades teacher and students are a vital part of this mission.

About Habitat: Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity South Central Minnesota has built 145 homes and 630 individuals in Blue Earth, Sibley, Watonwan, Le Sueur, and Nicollet counties. Through shelter, we empower. Interested in donating or volunteering to support the Mankato build? Visit habitatscmn.org.

*Due to low registration, we have chosen to postpone our Lunch & Learn introducing you to the MN State Housing Tax Credit program until late summer or early fall. 
If you would like to know more about the program before the fall, please reach out to our team to schedule a time to meet.
Our apologies for the postponement, but thanks for your understanding!*

Habitat for Humanity of South Central Minnesota is thrilled to announce its participation in the new Minnesota State Housing Tax Credit Program and Contribution Fund. Habitat for Humanity of South Central MN is hosting a lunch n’learn for business owners, financial advisors, and community members interested in learning more about the new program, how it works, and if they could benefit. There will be a lineup of speakers, including Devon Pohlman from Habitat Minnesota, Brock Thaemlitz from Eide Bailly, and Sondra Herman from Habitat SCMN.

📅 Wednesday, June 26, 2024
⏰ 12 pm to 1 pm
📍The Venue- 1850 Madison Ave, Mankato
Lunch Provided. Please RSVP by June 17^th to Sondra.herman@habitatscmn.org

This innovative program allows taxpayers to invest in affordable housing across the state, supporting housing for all Minnesotans while receiving a state tax credit certificate of 85% of their contribution. This program offers a unique avenue for funding affordable housing throughout the state. Eligible individuals and businesses can contribute between $1,000 and $2 million each tax year to qualify for this tax credit. Contributions can be designated to support specific qualifying projects or the general housing fund.

Habitat has two exciting projects eligible for funding, one in North Mankato and one in St Peter. To learn more about supporting local affordable housing initiatives and the new Minnesota State Housing Tax Credit Program and Contribution fund, visit habitatscmn.org. The tax credits provided through this program offer a unique opportunity for donors to maximize their contributions and make a lasting difference in our community.

Habitat Launches Construction Season At Hard Hat Breakfast
Community partners and donors meet to discuss local needs.

Mankato, MN May 2, 2024 — Habitat for Humanity hosted its third Hard Hat Breakfast gathering with community members to discuss local housing needs. With the generosity of donors and volunteers, Habitat continues its commitment to building affordable housing in South Central Minnesota, with new builds starting in Mankato, North Mankato, Nicollet, and St Peter in 2024. 

Hard Hat Breakfast is a celebration of the new construction season and a time to discuss local needs. Anne Mavity from Minnesota Housing Partnership gave the keynote discussing affordable housing needs in Minnesota and Blue Earth County and the increasing gap between those needing housing and new homes being built. In Blue Earth County, a median-income household cannot afford an average-priced home, and there is an increasing gap between capacity and those in need. Habitat for Humanity has been impacted by this gap and the rising building costs. In building season 2021-2022, the average cost of building a Habitat home was $208,000. Habitat homeowners could afford a mortgage of $208,000 on average. However, in the last building season, 2023-2024, the average cost of building a Habitat home increased to $290,000 while families could only afford a mortgage of $266,000. Local supporters and donors remain vital to building new homeownership opportunities for hard-working families. 

“Habitat remains committed to finding creative solutions to the housing crisis and building new homes,” says Sondra Herman, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity South Central Minnesota. Hard Hat Breakfast was made possible by Bremer Bank, H&H Development, Radio Mankato, and many other generous sponsors. More details about the event and sponsors can be found at habitatscmn.org.

Sponsors: Bremer Bank, Radio Mankato, H&H Development, Eide Bailly, Minnesota Valley Federal Credit Union, Leonard Heating & A/C, Web Construction, Lindsay Windows & Doors, Farrish Johnson Law Office, and Premier Title Services.

About Habitat: Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity South Central Minnesota has built 145 homes and 630 individuals in Blue Earth, Sibley, Watonwan, Le Sueur, and Nicollet counties. Through shelter, we empower. Interested in donating or volunteering to support the Mankato build? Visit habitatscmn.org.

MANKATO – Representative Jeff Brand, Mankato Mayor Najwa Massad, and Saint Peter City Council Member Keri Johnson will join housing advocates, leaders, Mankato residents who have experienced housing insecurity, and neighbors to discuss strategies to improve our housing system and build momentum for statewide housing solutions. Our Future Starts At Home is driving the movement for an amendment to the Minnesota State Constitution to dedicate sustainable, predictable, and ongoing funding to real solutions to our housing crisis. The Coalition has been engaging with Minnesotans throughout our state, has received the endorsement of over 50 housing, faith, and community organizations, and has 27 authors in the Minnesota Legislature.

Minnesotans, no matter what we look like or where we come from, should all have a safe, stable place to call home. One in every four Minnesota families– a figure even higher in Mankato with nearly 8,000 residents of Blue Earth County alone– are forced to choose between paying for a roof over their heads and other basic needs like food and medicine. While significant, this crisis is solvable. The Mankato Area Housing Town Hall will bring together critical stakeholders to explore the issues, realities, and remedies.

This event is co-hosted by The Arc of Minnesota, Habitat for Humanity of South Central Minnesota, Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership, and the statewide Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP).

WHO: Representative Jeff Brand, Mankato Mayor Najwa Massad, Saint Peter City Council Member Keri Johnson, Our Future Starts At Home Coalition

WHERE: Blue Earth County Historical Society, 424 Warren St, Mankato, MN 56001

WHAT: Mankato Area Housing Town Hall

WHEN: Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 5:30pm

Our Future Starts at Home is a coalition of over 50 housing, faith, and community groups across the state fighting for securing sustainable, predictable, and ongoing funding—an essential part of fixing Minnesota’s broken housing system. For more information, please visit www.OurHomesMN.org