Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP) is a left-of-center housing advocacy group. It provides technical assistance in obtaining grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) while also receiving money from HUD for its work. MHP’s Public Policy Advisory Group states that race should be the most important factor in housing financing policy ahead of resources, stability, or home ownership. ¹

History

Minnesota Housing Partnership began in 1987 as an informal coalition of community groups working on affordable housing. ² In 1989, the MHP incorporated into a nonprofit organization with a board equally split between the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota. ² In 1994, Minnesota Housing Partnership became a major provider of technical assistance and financial support by administering pre-development loan programs and operational grants to nonprofit developers. ² Subsequently, MHP served as a funding intermediary for government agency programs within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Agriculture. ²

Programs

Minnesota Housing Partnership works in community development, public policy, and research and publications. ³ MHP advocates for equitable housing policies, producing data driven research, and delivering community development services in Minnesota and across the United States. ⁴ MHP states that equity is woven throughout its mission, values, principles, and work. ⁵

Community Development

Minnesota Housing Partnership provides model collaborations and partnerships through its Housing Institute and Native Community Development Institute. ⁶ Minnesota Housing Partnership advises on community engagement and organizational development including recruitment and training, staff development, strategic planning, grant management, program design and administration, and funding applications. ⁷ MHP assists in identifying or providing loan or grant support for community development. ⁷ It provides a national network of support and subject matter experts. ⁸

Public Policy

Minnesota Housing Partnership advocates investments in affordable housing. ⁹ MHP’s Public Policy Advisory Group is guided by an equity focused policy analysis. ⁹ The MHP’s Public Policy Advisory Group identified race as the most important criteria for the evaluation of housing finance policy ahead of limited public dollars, predictable and dependable funding, and enhancing wealth and ownership options. ¹

The MHP public policy team advocates for increasing housing funding at the federal, state, and local level. ⁹ MHP’s efforts led to the state’s first housing tax credit in 2021. ⁹ Minnesota Housing Partnership educates lawmakers, candidates, and advocates on housing programs, resources, and issues. ⁹ It engages with coalitions with other nonprofits, for-profit companies, and elected officials to promote housing policy. ⁹

According to the Kirwin Institute’s Jason Reece, Minnesota Housing Partnership, the Kirwin Institute, and PolicyLink acted as primary capacity builders for the Sustainable Communities Initiative’s Fair Housing Equity Assessment that HUD uses to determine regional housing and community development grants. ¹⁰ HUD’s website pointed grant applicants to a PolicyLink-drafted document stating that applicants would be more likely to receive grant money if their proposals focused on equity. ¹⁰

Research and Publications

Minnesota Housing Partnership produces a yearly “State of the State’s Housing” report highlighting housing trends in the state and county specific data on home ownership, rental prices, and overall housing costs. ¹¹ MHP also provides research on regional housing profiles, local housing trust fund updates, rental profiles, rural rental housing, racial equity for renters, and immigrant housing. ¹²

Finances

In 2020, Minnesota Housing Partnership had net assets of $2,434,237. ¹³ According to the organization’s tax returns, in 2020 Minnesota Housing Partnership recorded $3,031,294 in revenue and $2,495,674 in expenses. ¹³ In 2019, Minnesota Housing Partnership had $1,945,503 in revenue and $2,567,808 in expenses. ¹⁴

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has paid Minnesota Housing Partnership to provide capacity building and technical assistance in rural areas. ¹⁵ From FY 2012-20, HUD paid MHP more than $9.8 million dollars. ¹⁶

Leadership

Anne Mavity has been executive director of Minnesota Housing Partnership since 2017. ¹⁷ From 2014 through 2017, Mavity was director of new projects at Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. ¹⁷ Previously, she spent 7 years at Wilder Center for Communities and Corporation for Supportive Housing. ¹⁷ From 1993 through 1997, Mavity worked in Moscow, Russia for USAID and the National Democratic Institute. ¹⁷ Mavity previously worked for the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development, executive director of the DFL Education Foundation, and executive director of the Minneapolis Central Neighborhood Improvement Association. ¹⁷

OpenSecrets data show that Mavity has contributed at least $6,000 to Democratic candidates since 2010. ¹⁸

1. “MHP’s Public Policy Advisory Group 2020 Report. Minnesota Housing Partnership. 2020. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://mhponline.org/wp-content/uploads/PPAG_Final_Report_w_-attachments.pdf.
2. “Our History.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. Accessed December 19, 2022. https://mhponline.org/our-history/.
3. “Our Work.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://mhponline.org/who-we-are/.
4. “Who We Are.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://mhponline.org/who-we-are/.
5. “Race Equity and Housing.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://mhponline.org/race-equity-and-housing/.
6. “Collaborations and Partnerships.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://mhponline.org/community-development/.
7. “Community Development.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://mhponline.org/community-development/.
8. “National Network.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://mhponline.org/community-development/.
9. “Public Policy.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://mhponline.org/public-policy/.
10. Luke Rosiak. “Race to the Bottom.” (New York: Broadside Books, 2022), 232.
11. “State of the State’s Housing 2021.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. 2021. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://mhponline.org/state-of-the-states-housing-2021/.
12. “Research.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://mhponline.org/publications/.
13. Minnesota Housing Partnership, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990-PF), 2020.
14. Minnesota Housing Partnership, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990-PF), 2019.
15. ^[1] “Our History.” Minnesota Housing Partnership. Accessed December 19, 2022. https://mhponline.org/our-history/; “Capacity Building Programs.” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Accessed December 19, 2022. https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/capacitybuilding; “HUD Announces $10 Million in Capacity Building Grants for Rural Americans.” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. January 5, 2021. Accessed December 19, 2022. https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_21_001.
16. “Capacity Building Programs.” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Accessed December 19, 2022. https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/capacitybuilding.
17. “Anne Mavity.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-mavity-04636610/.
18. Center for Responsive Politics. “Anne Mavity.” Opensecrets.org. March 22, 2021. Accessed December 18, 2022. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=anne+mavity.