At Home in Duluth
In 1998, Duluth LISC initiated “At Home in Duluth,” a 20-member collaborative to revitalize Duluth’s core older neighborhoods. Key strategies are to:
- Rebuild and diversify the housing stock to accommodate prospective homebuyers and renters from a variety of income levels;
- Re-energize commercial corridors to attract businesses and jobs; and
- Improve community parks and gardens to provide clean and safe outdoor spaces for residents.
Four neighborhood planning processes have been completed (Central Hillside, East Hillside, Lincoln Park and Ramsey Village) with implementation of housing, commercial and other neighborhood improvement activities underway in all four neighborhoods. LISC provides operating support and technical assistance to six Community Development Corporations (CDCs) to help implement the “At Home” strategies:
- Neighborhood planning to establish consensus and determine specific implementation strategies;
- Housing construction, rehabilitation and homeownership assistance;
- Neighborhood commercial corridor revitalization assistance; and
- Infrastructure improvements, including streets, parks, open space, and development of child care facilities.
Through “At Home”, older, deteriorated housing is being upgraded, low-income families assisted into homeownership and new homes constructed on vacant, infill lots. The “At Home” initiative also led to the creation of two employer-assisted homeownership programs generating 108 homebuyers over the past five years. The Hillside Homeownership Incentive Program and HOPE in Lincoln Park have received funds from 10 employers to assist employees in purchasing homes, which in turn generated Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF) matching resources for eligible, low-income homebuyers to help them with downpayments and closing costs.
This collaborative has directly secured over $10.2 million in Minnesota Housing Finance Agency and GMHF resources toward plan development and implementation. These resources have leveraged over $39.1 million since April 2000. Specific examples include demolition of blighted housing for construction of infill units, homeownership assistance, housing rehabilitation funds, and new construction gap financing for single family and duplex homeownership in the four core neighborhoods and city-wide. By 2006, 469 units of single family and duplex housing will be constructed or rehabilitated in our community through this effort. In addition, “At Home” plans have led to the development of affordable and mixed-income units in Duluth’s core neighborhoods, including Alicia’s Place, Village Place, Renaissance Apartments, Ramsey Village Townhomes and the New San Marco Apartments.
Storefront Enhancement Pilot Program
The goal of the “At Home in Duluth” Storefront Enhancement Pilot Program is revitalization of the Hillsides, Lincoln Park and West Duluth business districts through upgrading the appearance of individual businesses and the entire neighborhood to attract new customers and generate revenue for them. The program will enhance the business climate within these four urban neighborhood business districts by assisting existing businesses in improving their properties and attracting new businesses and customers to the neighborhood. To date, over $155,000 has been raised and available to invest in sixteen storefront enhancements identified in the four core neighborhoods.