“Where we stand depends on where we sit,” a wise observation from Nelson Mandela. When we stand in a new place, we will see new perspectives and hear new voices, and if I’m courageous enough, the sights and sounds will shape me. 

What I see right now is a scarcity in housing.  There is less than 2% vacancy in our neighborhood right now, and I think it is lower in small, scattered-site buildings that make up most of the rental opportunities in neighborhoods like Jordan, Central, Hawthorne, and Phillips. Check out the map to the right, published in the latest Minneapolis Trends Report.

What is unsettling is not that there are dots on the map, but the disproportionate distribution of the dots on this map.  We have to convert these dots—mostly single-family and small multi-unit buildings— into quality homes, underpinned by a strong relationship network that leads to better lives for everyone.

We need to work together to develop an interim, single-family rental strategy that stabilizes the real estate, weaves relationships, works toward credit redemption, and ultimate owner-occupancy.  What do you say…are you in?  Let’s shoot for 100 houses and see what happens!