Homeless

Project offers four townhouse units in a bid to end long-term homelessness in Brainerd area

By Jennifer Stockinger, Staff Writer

Brainerd Dispatch

Published: 11/14/2008

Life may get a little better for the homeless in Brainerd, thanks to the College Drive Limited Partnership.

The College Drive Limited Partnership - owned by majority partners Harold Teasdale and Tom Cooper of Minnesota Brokerage Group based in Minneapolis - purchased the College Drive Townhouses and is spending $1.6 million in renovations with the intention of designating four of its 24 units for the long-term homeless.

The townhouses, five buildings built in 1983, were previously owned by Lucas Donaldson Limited Partnership and are geared for low-income renters. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides federal assistance to the renters and the Central Minnesota Housing Partnership in St. Cloud manages the property.

The College Drive Townhouses project is the first long-term initiative in the Brainerd lakes area to address permanent affordable housing for the homeless, said Patrice O'Leary, Lutheran Social Services operations director in Brainerd. O'Leary said the project also supports the state's strategic initiative to end long-term homelessness.

Photo Source:  Brainerd Dispatch

O'Leary said the homeless may be someone who lost their job, has a medical condition or had their lives disrupted and they need a place to live. O'Leary said LSS will help coordinate support to the homeless who live at one of the units on College Drive. She said rent is based on a person's income - rent-free for the homeless. In order for an individual or family to qualify for one of the four homeless units, they must have been homeless continuously for a year or more or at least four times in the last three years. Monthly rent is determined by current HUD guidelines.

"This project is a really great resource for people who have housing struggles," O'Leary said. "This will allow them to get stable for the long haul and will help the rest of their life come along. We (Brainerd) needed something like this for a long time to have a full array of affordable housing available and now we have the long-term support."

Teasdale said the project not only assists in the personal struggles of homelessness, but the partnership also was able to renovate the property by using green building and sustainable principles.

"We were lucky with this project," Teasdale said. "'We're always scraping for money on projects, but this one was better funded. We are able to do what we wanted to do to make it a nicer place to live."

Teasdale said the project entails using non-toxic and recyclable building materials and finishing, energy-efficient lighting and mechanical systems, water conservation and minimizing waste.

"The main reason we do this is because it's the way it should be done," Teasdale said. "I want the project to do well and come back in about 20 years and say we did this. We can assist in the personal struggles of homelessness, reduce energy usage. This is a long-term investment in sustainability and it will help residents and the community.

"We have an agenda to do as much as we can to help people out."

The conceptional plan for the project's sustainable landscape is a collaborative effort initiated by St. Paul-based Great River Greening, Crow Wing County Extension Service and the county's Soil and Water Conservation District. Teasdale said the design incorporates native plantings and storm water approaches that encourage infiltration and treatment of runoff from parking and building areas.

Project improvements include cement fiber siding and Fireslate countertops, metal shingled roofs, geothermal heating and air-conditioning, improved ventilation systems, fluorescent lighting and Energy Star appliances.

Alliance Building Corp. in Sartell is the project's general contractor, and Blumentals/Architecture Inc. based in Minneapolis is the project's architect.

Kate Mackin of Minnesota Brokerage Group said tenants who currently live in the townhouses will remain in their homes during the renovation. Mackin said exterior work on the townhouses is anticipated to be completed by December, after which interior work on the units will begin.

Photo Source:  Brainerd Dispatch

201 6th St. SE / Suite 2  Minneapolis, MN  55414     T: 612.331.2222     F: 612.331.2224