Hey, I'm Mayor Taylor Hubard >> and I'm Michaela Hatfield, city council member and we are in downtown Chaza today at the Chesa Yards property and we're here to visit with Allison from the Carver County CDA. So, let's go check it out. So, I'm Allison Strike. I'm the executive director for the Carver County Community Development Agency or CDA as we go by. Uh the CDA's mission is to provide affordable housing opportunities and foster community and economic development. Um and we do that throughout uh Carver County. Allison, we're standing in the beautiful uh redone kitchen of the Ernst House. Um a project that you know you guys worked really hard on and I hear you're celebrating 45 years uh in the area. So, can you tell us a little bit more about what you do and your impact on families and businesses? >> Yeah, so our mission is to provide affordable housing opportunities and foster community and economic development. Um, so just under 900 units of rental housing. Um, the Ernst House here will go into our land trust program. Um, we're currently at 51 units. Um, so a lot of affordable rental housing and home ownership. And then um we do some uh work with businesses through Next Stage, which they provide free business consulting. Um and then obviously a lot of work with our city and county partners and other nonprofits in the community. So kind of in talking with you know specifically about the Ernst House or or more broadly Chaza Yards is what this area is called. Let's talk more about what this is and um and kind of how it came to be. >> Uh so the city of Chaza approached us um I don't recall the year but I know it was pre-COVID. So this project has been in development for a long time um about redeveloping this area where the Ernst House you know was previously moved from where the curling center is now um and how we could get some affordable home ownership here. Um, so we've been working with the city since you I think 2019 on trying to figure out how to maximize, you know, this it's a pretty was a pretty small lot before we did a replat, but >> um landed on, you know, the rehab of the historic Ernst house and then the three new units with the garage in the back. >> Um, so it definitely has had some challenges. I mean, historic rehab is not for the faint at heart. I don't know that somebody will convince me to do it again, but when you walk through this this build, I mean, all four units turn out amazing. Like, they are great. Yeah. This building though, this the historic Ernst House is, as I'm sure you'll see in the video, like I just can't say enough about how beautiful this building turned out. >> What's your experience been like working with the city um in your opportunities over here? >> Uh, well, it's been great working with the city of Chesa. Um, this is not the only project we've done in partnership with the city of Chesca. This is just one of many recent ones. Um, and this project has been a long time in the making. So, the staff have been really supportive um, and working with us to get this project done. >> Yeah, I think it's been really special because both uh, Council Member Hatfield and I were a part of the decision-m um, part of that and to see it come to full fruition is really rewarding and exciting. And it's exciting to give the opportunity to have affordable housing downtown to um to new residents coming into the area or maybe people that are moving from an apartment into, you know, a home, their first home. And so I know there's a lot of um talk around affordable housing, the lack of affordable housing. How uh do you guys help people get into affordable housing and, you know, stay in an affordable house? >> Uh so, as I mentioned, we have just under 900 units of affordable housing. Um that includes our newest project, Carver Oaks, that'll be opening in March. >> Okay. >> Um and we just got funded another senior project in the city of Okonia that hopefully we'll break ground on uh later this year. Um so really a lot of affordable andor subsidized rental housing. Um then within our rental properties, we have a resident service coordinator who will work with residents um to connect them to services available to them, you know, through Carver County, through nonprofits, whatever kind of help they might need. And then we make sure that all of our residents, not only in our properties, but within Carver County, are aware of like our land trust program and how they can take a home stretch class to learn more about affordable home ownership and how to just get into home ownership in general, whether they want to stay in Carver County or move somewhere else. Yeah, I thought it was really exciting. Uh I know last year about this time you guys were rolling out that the um money towards firsttime home buyer um you know and I think about all the possibilities that it creates and kind of the parameters around that just being >> you know taking some classes correct to kind of be a good homeowner and and getting those um the finances sorted out. So, so our down payment assistance program we launched last May and it was open for 2 months um before we closed. It was just over a million dollars um for that. So, you had to be a first-time home buyer. Um you know, your your income has to be within a certain limit. And so, we were able to serve 17 house homes, help 17 households buy uh their first home in Carver County. Um and we have a couple more uh closings that are will be in the next couple of months. >> That's really And that was just the first round. >> Wow. And so are you guys thinking about are you going to roll that out again? >> We will roll that out again this year. We'll have a second round of the firsttime home buyer. Um and then we'll be launching also additionally our first generate uh firstg home buyer program. You mentioned the land trust program. and tell us a little bit more about how that works cuz that to me is such a cool program that really can build confidence and and give people to the ability to own a home um but do it affordably. >> So, let's go back a little bit further to the city and the CDA's partnership. Um the city of Chaza started the land trust program. I don't know when you guys started it, um but we took it over from the city of Chesa in 2008. Um and at that time there was 18 homes. We are now have expanded to the entire county and we're at 51 homes. Um so land trust is an affordable uh it's a form of affordable home ownership. Um and so how it works is we target households at or below 80% of area median income. Um which right now is 104,000 for a household of four just to give you a general idea. >> Um and then we sever the land from the home. And so the home buyer they only have to take out a mortgage on the house. we get funding to bring the land into the land trust and that's how we're able to make it affordable to somebody at a lower income. Um, and then the land stays in a 99-year renewable ground lease, which is how we're able to keep it affordable for the next home. So, 51 homes, but with those 51 homes, which we increased by about 25% this year. So, we've been able to serve 80 families um through our land trust program. So, what is one moment that's really stuck with you? >> I don't think I can pick just one, but I will share like one of my top, you know, I don't know, 10. Um, it's I've been fortunate in my different roles. You know, I've been at the CDA for almost 19 years and I've been in multiple different roles. So, depending on the role, like I get to interact a lot with residents or home home buyers. Um, and I remember this one time, uh, we had a resident who was getting ready to move in, um, into one of our single family homes and I happened to just stop in. She was meeting with staff and I just happened to peek my head in the office cuz I like to do that once in a while. Um, and she was getting ready to leave and they said she was going to get balloons and I was like, "Well, what are you going to get balloons for?" And she's like, "Well, my son just thinks that we're going to look at this house. He doesn't know we're moving in today." And it, you know, everybody just starts sobbing cuz we're just like, you know, that's what makes I truly believe that housing is a human right. And so when I get the privilege of seeing the impact that we have on the people we're serving, like, >> wow, that's powerful. >> What's one thing you'd like people to know about CDA? Um, well, I think one thing that we've really focused on in 2025, and some of this came out of our strategic plan, uh, is doing a better job at telling the story of who we are and what we do. You know, cuz we always say we do a huge disservice to the people we serve if they have no idea who we are and what we do. Um, so I think just really having people understand like the breadth of what our agency, like what we really do. And so we've been really really focusing on sharing our story on social media so people can see just the unique you know who our residents are like what do our managers or our you know director of community development like where what are we doing in the community just I think in general like really what our agency does and who we serve. And I think too when I think about it, you guys are throughout Carver County. You know, you're not just in Chaza, although you have a big bulk of, like you said, the housing trusts and and affordable housing in Chaza. I know that there are other communities like you had touched on Carver, but I also know like Chanhasson has some and Wakonia you had touched on. So, you're throughout the whole entire county. >> Wow, that was so interesting and it was awesome to be able to see all the beautiful homes. It was really informative to hear from Allison all the amazing things the CDA is doing here in Chesca. >> Well, see you next time. >> See you next time.