The Minnesota legislature has appropriated $10 million to fund the Anti-Displacement Community Prosperity Program. It’s aim is to stabilize and protect neighborhoods along the Blue Line before, during, and after construction of the $3 billion project.
“This money will be a way to show how we can do development differently,” said Rep. Esther Agbaje, (DFL - District 59B) the House author of the bill; she represents North Minneapolis where the proposed line will run.
The Anti-Displacement Community Prosperity Program targets neighborhoods, small businesses and homes along the proposed METRO Blue Line Extension route corridor.
The state funding requires a financial match to maximize its investment. The Blue Line Anti-Displacement Work Group, a 27-member community-led board, will seek matching funds from other government sources, foundations and private groups and will coordinate and oversee how the money is spent.
“When new infrastructure comes in, it’s unfortunate that it has the ability to push people away. This anti-displacement fund is to prevent gentrification. It’s meant to ensure that businesses and residents will maintain their place in their community so they can build generational wealth and grow along with the infrastructure rather than being displaced by it,” Rep. Agbaje added.
The METRO Blue Line Extension will lay 13 miles of new track to the existing light rail system.
“The program will do the two things in its official name. It reflects that we are not just preventing displacement, but also being strategic about building prosperity. That’s so the people in the Blue Line Corridor will benefit from the investment and experience the prosperity that light rail will bring,” said Kyle Mianulli, Hennepin County transit and mobility communications administrator.
Some ways the Anti-Displacement Community Prosperity Program funding can be used include:
-Affordable housing support, to help existing residents with rent subsidies, relocation expenses and tax relief.
-Small business support to help them defray costs during the disruption of construction and to help them eventually own their property.
-Enhancing public space, preserving the cultural heritage in the corridor and supporting community organizations.
-Providing job training and workforce placement to prepare residents to have the skills to participate in employment related to building, operating and planning light rail.
The Anti-Displacement Community Prosperity Program can be extended on an annual basis through construction. It’s anticipated riders will first be able to board the METRO Blue Line extension trains in 2030.
“It’s not an either-or question, should the train come in or not,” said Rep. Agbaje. “Instead, it’s can we make the train come in a way that’s most beneficial to the people who already live here and the people who want to come in and invest in our community.”
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