Alliance Housing Inc.

I. Goals – 2021-2024 Strategic Plan
A. Property and Asset Management – Making it possible for our residents to create a home for themselves long-term.
1. Goal: Maintain Alliance properties so they are an asset to our tenants and neighbors and highly regarded by our public funders.
2. Goal: Establish niche as 2nd chance housing provider while maintaining tenant stability and peaceful properties.
3. Goal: Keep rents affordable to low wage workers and adults on a fixed income.

B. Real Estate Development - Creating quality and accessible housing for adults and families who need it.
1. Goal: Increase housing options for adults and families with low wages and income, most often screened out of housing, with access to transportation that allow them to efficiently access life’s necessities.
2. Goal: Increase and explore options for new Alliance Housing office space that creates space for all staff and functions.

C. Advocacy and Communication - Telling the affordable, stable housing story.
1. Goal: Articulate and advocate for a policy agenda that increases resources for housing those with the lowest income and addresses issues that impede access to and retention of stable housing.
2. Goal: Articulate and establish Alliance’s profile and capability among key stakeholders in community.
3. Goal: Build solid donor relations operation that ensures donor satisfaction and retention.

Alliance’s programs and activities include affordable housing development and management and policy advocacy and communications. Its 519 units of housing serve a continuum of single adults to families and offer no services to more intensive supportive services. Alliance owns and manages about ½ of the units and is an owner/co-developer of the others. Alliance’s directly managed properties house 418 people - 308 adults and 110 kids. Our tenant population mirrors the Hennepin County shelter demographics – 70% people of color, primarily African American and Indigenous people. Fifty-five percent of tenants had background issues that would have screened them out of other rental properties (criminal convictions, evictions and insufficient rent to income ratios). Nearly all of the tenants move in with incomes below 30% of area median income ($22,050 for a single adult, $31,450 for a family of 4). Single adults often have incomes of less than $15,000, especially if they are on a fixed government payment.
Alliance Housing’s housing (real estate) development and property management fills a critical niche in Minneapolis’ affordable housing marketplace. Our units are some of the most affordable. Alliance rents to tenants that other landlords turn down because of their low income or poor rental and criminal histories. Without stable housing these individuals are unable to hold down a job or get their children to school every day. Alliance Housing builds or rehabs its apartments without debt and raises charitable dollars to keep rents lower than needed expenses. Alliance offers a more equitable economic relationship where low wage workers ($10-$15 per hour) and adults on a fixed government income can afford a roof over their head.
Finding and affording an apartment is only the first step. Maintaining housing stability is fraught with challenges for a very low income person. Financial setbacks – loss of hours or work, car repairs, medical bills – sometimes make it nearly impossible for a low income tenant to cover the rent. Alliance’s property manager has the ability to negotiate rent payment plans over time. This enables very low income persons with limited ability to manage financial set-backs the opportunity to retain stable housing. Tenants who have been homeless for a while or who have family and friends who sometimes take advantage of them, may need help staying compliant with the lease. The property manager can re-set lease expectations and delineate a clear understanding of desired behavior to maintain housing stability. He attempts to re-direct and correct behavior rather than evict households.

Alliance Housing was born out of the vision of St. Stephens’ Catholic Church volunteers and emergency shelter staff and residents who wanted to create tangible, long term housing solutions for homeless families and individuals. The nonprofit (not religious affiliated) organization was incorporated in 1991 and took advantage of vacant and available properties at low cost in South Minneapolis. Alliance continues to honor its history by developing housing solutions for homeless, poor and other individuals shut out of market opportunities.

Two people are key to the work of this proposal:

Tiffany Simmons and Samantha Giarrusso, Property Managers, employ Alliance’s practices of management that have proved successful in helping adults and families with many life challenges maintain stable housing. They stay current in legal and humane property management practices and keep Alliance’s housing well maintained as the “best (property) on the block.”

Barbara Jeanetta, Executive Director, has 25 years of experience in nonprofit and government programs and organizations including human resources, finances, and program design and implementation. She has served as Alliance’s Director for 4.5 years. Prior to Alliance, she managed coaching and housing staff at a nonprofit organization that helped formerly incarcerated men get employment, housing, and manage their health. Barbara has a BA in Political Science from Hamline University and a MA in Public Affairs from the University of MN’s Humphrey Institute. Barbara will oversee staff and take the lead on fundraising, real estate development and policy advocacy.

Alliance Housing measures its success by the stability of its tenants, the percentage of its tenants that would likely have been screened out by other landlords given traditional rental screening criteria and the percent of new real estate funding dollars that have been committed. The first two measures are included on a bi-monthly board meeting Dashboard document. The third is included in the Director’s management report that is also included in board packets.

Alliance’s current average length of tenancy is 3 years. 25% of tenants have lived in Alliance’s housing for 2-5 years. 30% have lived in Alliance’s housing for over 5 years. The current data on screening criteria shows 54% of tenants would have been screened out by other landlords using the following screening criteria: Monthly income is 2 times that of rent, one or more evictions in the past 5 years, felony convictions in the last 5 years. Alliance’s goal is to maintain or increase length of tenancy as a measure of stability and show that a majority of its tenants needed a 2nd chance at stable housing.

Alliance is prepared to do real estate development if needs of its target population are not being met in the housing market. Alliance’s interest list of adults and families who have completed a rental application continues to grow and now is at 700+ households. Applicants report they cannot find housing at their affordability level or that doesn’t screen them out due to back ground. Alliance currently has two new housing projects underway and will measure success by the percentage of capital funding raised against the total needed.

Of the most important indicators you are able to track, what were your most recent reported results? Please limit to 5 results.

Housing tenure: Average of 3 years
% of tenants that would have been screened out by other landlords: 54%
% of capital dollars raised on new housing development projects: 16%

+$468,050 of $881,050 on 2924:
+$2,325,000 of $16,890,000 on 700 10th:
Total: $2,793,050 on $17,771,050: 16%