ed112008

On the homepage

Thanksgiving

Out There

Video

How to cook a turkey: Ask a kid

Reusse's Turkey

Who's Reusse's Turkey of the Year?

Home | Opinion Exchange | Editorials

Continued: Editorial: A new approach to housing, services

Print this story

Follow Opinion Exchange on Twitter

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

To see the building, hear stories about the people Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota serves and to learn how to get involved or make a donation, go to centerforchanginglives.org.

Low-income residents of the newly opened Center for Changing Lives in Minneapolis have fewer barriers to getting their lives on track. They're settled into affordable, roomy apartments that help them manage their budgets. Key transportation issues are solved because services ranging from employment to budgeting to mental health counseling are just steps away from home. And activities for children are available under the same roof.

The mission of the center, which officially opened for business this week at 2400 Park Av. S., is to make it easier for people to stabilize their lives and become more productive members of the community. The center is an impressive example of how housing and social services can be combined on a single site.

With the apartments filled and the service providers up and running, the center is well-positioned to effectively serve the mix of African and Hispanic immigrants and other lower-income residents in the Phillips neighborhood.

Bright and airy with loads of natural light, the building fills a large city block. Colorful play spaces are available for children to use while parents meet with counselors. A small, indoor basketball practice court is on-site for older kids. And because at least a third of those served are Muslim immigrants, two private rooms with tiled floor-level and foot-washing facilities are available.

Thanks to thousands of gallons of donated paint, clean earth-toned walls greet visitors in the service center. The spacious apartments have granite-like silestone countertops and energy-efficient appliances.

In addition, the building is full of recycled materials from the building that was torn down on the same site. The green building is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified as an energy-efficient, eco-friendly structure.

Partners in creating the $27 million center include Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, Messiah Lutheran Church, Hennepin County, Faith in the City and several Lutheran organizations. Among the coalition of contributors are several dozen public, private, business, faith, individual and community donors, including the Star Tribune. The project needs only about $1.5 million to reach its fundraising goal.

Eligible families got the apartments through a lottery and started to move in on Labor Day. About 1,000 families applied for 48 spots; only one apartment remained open this week. Some rents are subsidized, and others are offered at below-market rates to help low-income residents manage. Ten of the units are reserved for families or individuals who have been chronically homeless.

The combination of services and housing brings the life-cycle housing/community concept to a lower-income neighborhood. Families initially benefit from moving into affordable apartments. Once stabilized and employed, they can move on to reasonably priced townhouses and single-family houses nearby. Residents have both short- and long-term housing options and a chance to establish roots in the community.

In today's challenging financial times, the Center for Changing Lives offers a good model for providing effective, efficient social services. With the proper support, families and individuals can indeed change their lives and lift themselves out of poverty.

Recent Editorials stories

Editorial: Time to review state forfeiture laws - November 19, 2008

Editorial: Time to review state forfeiture laws - Improvements are needed after Gang Strike Force debacle. More

Comment on this story | Read all 1 comments | Hide reader comments

New ideas for the public sector

THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME to create a more efficient Minnesota. Facing large budget deficits at the state, county and local levels, Minnesotans are seeing with new clarity that the public sector must adapt to new economic realities. Only the smartest, most strategic reinvention will ensure that our tax dollars are spent on the best programs and services. Read more

About Opinion Exchange

Opinion Exchange is produced by the Editorial Department, which is dedicated to hosting the discussion on a range of issues of interest to Star Tribune readers online and in print. In its new format, it's our hope that Opinion Exhange will create a more dynamic dialogue between Star Tribune readers and the Editorial Board. Many individual posts will be written and signed by members of the Editorial Board and will reflect their own opinions. Daily editorials will continue to represent the institutional voice of the newspaper and be researched and written by the Editorial Department, which is independent of the newsroom.

Subscribe to RSS|Learn more about RSS