The Saint Paul City Council approved the second allocation for a project utilizing the City’s 30% AMI Deeply Affordable Housing Fund at their Aug. 24, 2022 meeting.
The Soul Apartments, a Schafer Richardson development at the intersection of Robert Street and Plato Boulevard on the City’s West Side, will add “much-needed deeply affordable housing for Saint Paul families.”
According to the city, the project will include 23 three-bedroom units and 12 four-bedroom units (for a total of 35 units) affordable to families with income at 30% AMI, in addition to 143 one-, two- and three-bedroom units restricted to households with income at 60% AMI or lower. While the 35 units will remain affordable to families at 30% AMI for 30 years, all 178 units will be restricted to households at 60% AMI or lower for 40 years.
“This project is everything we could hope for in an affordable housing project, including units large enough for families,” said Ward 2 Councilmember Rebecca Noecker. “I just could not be more excited about the way this is going to revitalize this part of the West Side Flats and appreciate everything Shafer Richardson and city staff have done to work with the community to make this happen.”
“The Soul Apartments will add three- and four-bedroom units at 30% AMI—which is particularly difficult to do,” shared City of Saint Paul Housing Director Tara Beard. “We will continue to utilize our American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to expand the amount of stable, permanent, affordable housing for Saint Paul’s lowest-income residents, who are most cost-burdened and disproportionately affected by the housing crisis.”
Earlier this year, the City Council approved the use of ARPA funding for the Twelve-22 project in the Midway neighborhood. By the end of 2022, three additional projects should be recommended for funding from the 30% AMI Deeply Affordable Housing Fund. If approved, these five projects will collectively create 110 new units of housing affordable housing for families earning 30% or less of Area Median Income.
