A few months after the Hennepin County Board allotted its largest single appropriations for affordable housing, members on Tuesday approved another $46 million in federal funds to enhance one of its top priorities.

In May, the board approved $17 million for housing, but officials said the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create an unprecedented need for more housing. The board also signed off on an additional $25 million for homeless housing strategies.

Nearly half of the money will be used to accelerate new housing in areas hard hit by the pandemic and the civil unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd, according to the county.

The rest will be used for previously funded projects, single-room housing, home purchases and other new developments. The initiative is expected to create or preserve 2,000 units of affordable housing and support more than 100 households to buy homes.

The county has also spent $78 million on emergency rental assistance for tenants and landlords, which is expected to ease the burden on more than 15,000 households, said Kevin Dockry, director of the county's Community Works.

"This is an unprecedented amount of money we are spending on housing," said Commissioner Debbie Goettel.

The plans for the $17 million approved in May included 27 affordable housing and development projects this year, with a goal of creating nearly 2,300 units. The money also will be used to create the county's first rent-reduction subsidy program for low-income residents.

The projects are sprinkled across the county and will consist of 1,550 new or improved affordable housing units. There will also be another 800 units in major transit corridors with commercial and community space. Nearly 400 units are designated for households with the lowest income of less than 30% of the area median income, or about $31,450 for a four-person household.

The $46 million approved Tuesday comes from more than $200 million the county received under the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

The economic impact of the pandemic significantly affected communities of color, which accounted for nearly 80% of requests for emergency rental assistance, officials said.

"We have a historic opportunity to fund long-term housing efforts beyond the pandemic emergencies," said Commissioner Chris LaTondresse. "… We are committing to homeownership and the opportunity for wealth building in some areas that have been historically left out of federal funding."

David Chanen • 612-673-4465