New Apartment Community Designed to Provide Supportive Services and Affordable Housing in Bemidji, MN
Cinnaire recently joined Center City Housing Corporation to celebrate the grand opening for Park Place Apartments. Located in Bemidji, MN, Park Place Apartments is an innovative supportive housing development that provides safe, stable housing with services. Forty units serve adults with chronic substance abuse problems and 20 efficiency apartments provide housing for recently homeless individuals. Cinnaire provided a $2.9 million Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) investment to support the development. 
Additional financing partners include the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF), the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA), and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines.
The $7.5 million, 35,860 square-foot-building was developed by Center City Housing Corporation, a statewide leader and innovator of affordable, supportive housing. Kraus-Anderson Construction Company completed the construction. The building was designed by LHB Architects.
“It is cold today, like it was at the groundbreaking,” said Chris Laurent, Senior Vice President, Cinnaire. “It’s clear that winter is coming and it’s going to be bad. But for those who have experienced homelessness, Park Place is a wall of defense against the elements.”
In addition to providing safe, affordable housing for Park Place Apartments residents, the complex will have a staff of approximately 20 employees, including a half-time nurse from Sanford Health and two full-time caseworkers from the Upper Mississippi Mental Health Center. Center City Housing Corporation will provide case management, access to addiction treatment services, money management, sober activities, medication safe-keeping, transportation, enrollment in health plans and access to primary care and on-site meal services. Center City’s “Housing First Model” is designed to use harm reduction strategies to reduce the risks associated with alcohol use and abuse, including homelessness.
“Park Place is a game changer that saves and changes lives,” said Warren Hanson, President & CEO of Greater Minnesota Housing Fund/Minnesota Equity Fund. “How incredibly fortunate Minnesota is to have Center City working across the state on creating supportive housing, the hardest housing to put together. Congratulations to the whole community that has come together to make this happen.”
“Housing is the foundation of success in everything we do,” said Jane Lawrenz, Minnesota Department of Human Services. “Park Place is more than a building; it’s a home and all that means. People can be proud of their home.”
Additional project partners include: Beltrami County, Beltrami County HRA, City of Bemidji, First National Bank of Bemidji, Headwaters Regional Development Commission, Kraus-Anderson, LHB, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwa, Minnesota Equity Fund, Minnesota Department of Human Services, Minnesota Housing, Red Lake Nation, Sanford Health and Upper Mississippi Mental Health Center, Inc.
