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HRA Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, June 16, 2009 Page 2 8.Recognitions None. 9.Presentations a.Kathy Larsen, St. Louis Park Housing Coordinator Executive Director Patrick Trudgeon welcomed Ms. Kathy Larson, Housing Coordinator for the City of St. Louis Park, MN; noting that Ms. Larson had provided guidance and assistance to the City of Roseville’s HRA with some difficult issues. Mr. Trudgeon opined that the City of St. Louis Park served as a model to other metropolitan communications through their innovative programs; and thanked Member Masche for recommending them to the City’s staff, and looked forward to tonight’s presentation to provide some great ideas for the City’s HRA. Ms. Larson thanked Members for inviting her to present some ideas; and throughout the presentation, provided several brochures and other St. Louis Park-specific program materials for additional information to the HRA. Ms. Larson reviewed some of the activities, specific to St. Louis Park, as well as those common among other communities; and noted that the City of St. Louis Park had separated their original HRA from the City Council, and as more complex development issues became evident, had created an Economic Development Authority (EDA) and Housing Authority. Ms. Larson noted that the EDA consisted of the same membership as the City Council, but that the Housing Authority served as an advisory board appointed by the City Council. Ms. Larson advised that the Housing Authority itself was responsible for the City’s HUD programs, acquiring, owning, operating and administering those housing programs, with the goal of assuring safe, affordable housing in the community. Ms. Larson reviewed some of those multi-family complexes; types of housing; funding; and governance of those units. Some of those consisted of multi-family units, some family public housing (single family homes scattered throughout the City with rent approximately at 30% of annual income, and residents responsible for maintaining the homes); and Section 8 Housing Vouchers with rent subsidies for low-income individual and families with tenants living in privately-owned units. Discussion among Members, staff and Ms. Larson included how those subsidized rents compared to market rates; statutory stipulations for public housing; differentiation between an EDA and HRA levy to allow more resources for funding specific challenges within a community; how the City of St. Louis Park collected and tracked housing data (i.e., trends, demographics, future needs and diversity, including life-cycle housing); comprehensive nature of their programs designed to overcome obstacles to preserve and enhance property (motivation, technical aspects, and financial assistance); home improvement services; architectural design services; annual home remodeling tours; and the successes of those individual programs; and cooperative ventures (i.e., annual home remodeling fair) with the Cities of Minnetonka, Golden Valley, Hopkins, and St. Louis Park. Ms. Larson discussed various loan programs used by the City of St. Louis Park, including the Minnesota Housing Fix-Up Loan Program, with the City buying down the interest rate depending on a resident’s income; and Housing Rehabilitation Fund, with City funds th of 1% of principal on bonds issued) as a primary source for designated since the 1980’s (1/8 funding this ongoing program; Energy Loans in cooperation with the State of MN and other agencies; “Move Up In the Park Loans,” with loans specifically for home expansion based on larger income criteria, with deferred loans (if remaining in the home for thirty years, the loan is forgiven, if sold, the funds go back to the City) and interest rates at 0% Ms. Larson addressed Home Improvement Loans for low-income homeowners, basically through emergency grants and deferred loans, both funded through Community Development