Golden Valley Wants To Help More People Find Housing
(CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY) – The Golden Valley City Council is actively working towards their goal to “foster a healthy mix of housing stock that accommodates various price points and life stages.” The City recently approved plats for 10 new units across five properties and a contract with Bolton & Menk to complete a Missing Middle Housing Study.
This year, the City Council approved the next round of Home Ownership Program for Equity (HOPE) properties located at:
504 Lilac (one unit)
1131 Lilac (two units)
1211 Lilac (two units)
1611 Lilac (four units)
4707 Circle Down (one unit)
“As a fully-developed suburb community, we looked to MNDOT to provide remnant right-of-way to build these properties,” said Housing and Economic Development Manager Christine Costello. “Some of these locations were previously lots for homes and was acquired when Highway 100, for example, came in, MNDOT initially purchased it. Over the years, they didn’t need it, and we’ve acquired it back to build housing.”
The new homes could be built by this time next year, Costello said.
“These homes will remain affordable. They will be in the land trust, so they will be affordable for 99 years. They won’t be rentals. They’re intended to be owner-occupied,” she said.
The City’s HOPE Program is an innovative program that takes vacant land, mostly right-of-way, and converts it to buildable pieces of land for new homes. All of the homes are owner-occupied and affordable for owners at 80 percent area median income (AMI).
The City is also working on a Missing Middle Housing Study, aimed at expanding diverse and affordable housing options in the community. Missing middle housing generally refers to a range of housing products larger than a single-family home but smaller than a large apartment building. The term “missing middle” includes duplexes, triplexes, quads, and small-scale apartments that are compatible with neighborhoods.
“One of the city council’s 2030 strategic objectives is to increase a range of housing stock options,” said Deputy Community Development Director Chloe McGuire. “That’s important both for a range of housing diversity so we have different types of housing, which increases housing choice, so people have an option on where to live.”
Missing middle housing is intended to increase options, which results in the ability for residents to downsize, stay in the community at all stages of life, and allow for new residents to move into the community. While missing middle units are likely smaller and more affordable, they will be market-rate units.
“We really want this to be a living, breathing document that we implement over time, and not just a study that sits on a shelf,” said McGuire.
