KOOTASCA Community Action
Program highlight: The historic Alexander Baker School in International Falls gets rennovated into 27 apartments, ranging from one to four bedrooms.
KOOTASCA Community Action’s Housing Development Department finished renovating the historic Alexander Baker School in International Falls into 27 apartments, ranging from one to four bedrooms. This project, the first new housing in the area in over a generation, offers affordable rents for those earning 30%-60% of the area median income. A grand opening celebration was held on September 26th. The project received over 175 rental applications, is nearly fully occupied, and currently has a waitlist. KOOTASCA, with its long-standing commitment to housing, continues to partner with communities to make affordable housing accessible.
The Alexander Baker Apartments is a testament to the trust and partnership between a community and their community action agency. While this project’s construction timeframe was relatively short, bringing the project to the point of providing new critical housing within the community, was a process that lasted nearly eight years. Isaac Meyer, CCAP of KOOTASCA Community Action began the process in late 2016, when the community of International Falls was exploring options as to what could become of the beloved vacant 40,000 school building that was built in 1912. Through many meetings with the community, neighbors, and city council members, an offer to create housing was brought forward. KOOTASCA Community Action met with key partners to determine what resources would be necessary and what resources were available to convert the vacant school into new apartments. Throughout many months of conversation, negotiation, and diligence, KOOTASCA along with development partner, Trellis Co., were able to put forward a competitive application to Minnesota Housing for funding in the consolidated multifamily RFP.
As community action agencies across the state continue to help address the needs of our communities to help end poverty, the Housing Development Department is hard at work in the creation of affordable multi-family housing to help address this issue. KOOTASCA’s Housing Development Depart focuses on providing housing to those at 30%to 60% of area median income, as well as working with service providers to house and assist those who are currently living with a disability, and those of whom are considered high priority homeless. By working with local HRA’s, service providers, and communities, this affordable housing allows for individuals and families within our families the access to safe, modern, and efficient housing in which their rent is no more than 30% of their qualifying income. Housing provides greater health and well-being to our individuals and families in our communities, and allows for the opportunity to live and grow.