Help shape the future of Minnesota housing

Community members who have experienced housing challenges are invited to apply to be a Community Reviewer Consultant. Those selected will work alongside Minnesota Housing to decide which applicants should get funding through the state’s housing grant programs.

Contributed / City of Moorhead

Minnesota residents who have experienced housing challenges are invited to help shape the future of housing by applying to the state’s Community Review Program.

Once accepted into the program, community members will work alongside Minnesota Housing to decide which applicants should get funding through the state’s housing grant programs.

Members of historically marginalized communities have been disproportionately impacted by housing difficulties, according to a release from Minnesota Housing, and their input is vital to find solutions.

“Our state is home to communities of all types with the expertise, insights and commitment to take on the toughest housing issues,” the release said. “We’re committed to including voices from these communities in our processes.”

In this role, Minnesotans will be asked to help score grant applications, interview applicants for specific grants, and participate in Minnesota Housing deliberation meetings to recommend a list of applicants to receive housing grants.

Each applicant must be over 18 years of age, live in Minnesota, and have faced housing challenges themselves. Each Community Reviewer Consultant will be paid for their time with a stipend of $1,000, the release said, and the role requires between 20 to 30 hours of work over the span of 3 to 8 weeks; selected applicants will be asked to read between 6 to 8 applications for grant funding of up to 20 pages each.

“Minnesota Housing strives to create an inclusive and equitable housing system by empowering communities to codevelop solutions to housing challenges,” the release said. “This program prioritizes community engagement, partnership and collaboration, and allows for more community-led decision making in our programs.”

There will be an online Community Reviewer Information Session from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and another from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11.

Applications open on Monday, March 2, and close on Wednesday, April 1. The application pool is limited to the first 500 people who apply, the release said.

To learn more about this opportunity, please visit https://mnhousing.gov/home/policy-and-research/community-reviewer-program