In St. Cloud, leaders of color aim to fill community's housing need

On a corner in the center of St. Cloud, next to a former Wells Fargo bank, Abdikadir Bashir can view bustling cultural malls in three directions.

There’s a restaurant, a cafe, retail shops, a halal market, a health clinic — all started by East African immigrants who now call St. Cloud home.

This busy hub is the heart of the recently arrived immigrant community in St. Cloud. Bashir, executive director of the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization, said it challenges stereotypes of immigrants as a drain on the community.

“This neighborhood is a testament to the contrary — that immigrants come here and do make the new communities better, economically, socially and culturally,” Bashir said. “And that’s what we also intend to continue.”

St. Cloud-based CAIRO provides services and support to immigrants and refugees, including education, health programs and workforce training. Those efforts have expanded to include helping address the shortage of housing in St. Cloud, one of multiple local efforts led by people of color.

CAIRO bought the nearly 4-acre property on 33rd Avenue and Third Street North last year. It plans a mixed-use development with commercial, office and event space, and 70 rental apartments. 

“We came to realize that housing anchors everything,” Bashir said. “It is the foundation to human development. It is the foundation to community progress. Without a roof over your head, children will not be able to go to school. You will not be healthy. You will not be prospering economically.”

The project is named Iskufilan Village. The Somali word means sufficient, whole or complete.

Its supporters envision a thriving community hub that fosters a sense of belonging, with local businesses and essential services conveniently close by.

Most of the 70 apartments will have three or four bedrooms. Bashir said that space is crucial for larger immigrant families that often include six or more people, compared to the U.S. average of 2.5.

“We hear of moms that tend to hide their pregnancies, sometimes out of fear of growing out of their current apartment, or getting kicked out by a landlord,” he said. “I have heard stories of a family living in two adjacent apartments because one apartment is not (large) enough for them.”   

The housing will be open to anyone, not restricted to immigrants or any certain demographics.

Bashir said the project is driven by a belief in East African culture of a collective responsibility to solve problems.

“It is led by the community,” he said. “It’s coming from the community, because we have that lived experience.”

At least 10 percent of the units will be designated as affordable, and the rest targeted toward middle-income working residents. Nearly half of St. Cloud’s renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

CAIRO is putting together the private financing for the project. They're also asking the Legislature for $5 million in state funds.

At a recent Senate housing committee meeting, Farhiya Iman spoke in favor of the project. She’s an educator and social worker who’s lived in St. Cloud for 20 years.

Iman said she frequently sees families working full time, but still unable to find affordable housing.

“Housing isn’t just about walls and roof. It’s about stability. It’s about dignity. It’s about opportunity,” she said. “And for far too many families in St. Cloud, that opportunity does not exist.”

St. Cloud’s need for apartments is just the start. A recent study estimated the city needs 17,000 new housing units over the next 15 years.

Mayor Jake Anderson, who took office in January, said the city also needs single-family homes, senior housing and low-income housing. 

Without adequate housing, it’s difficult for the city to attract new businesses, and it risks losing workers and talent to other places, Anderson said.

“If you’re not adding housing and then families are beginning to expand, they’re going to move,” he said. “So you may see migration out of the city to either other cities in the region or other regional centers.”

Another St. Cloud group wants to make the dream of home ownership a reality for more people.

Dreamliner Estates LLC was founded by three community leaders of color who come from different professional backgrounds: public transit, community engagement and finance.

“We see the struggles when it comes to underrepresented communities, people of color and we see the struggles, how hard it is for them to even attain housing,” said co-founder Ryan Daniel, who is also CEO of St. Cloud Metro Bus, the city’s transit service.

Owning a home is important for families to build generational wealth, Daniel said. But statistically, home ownership rates in St. Cloud are lower for people of color.

Daniel’s partners are Eunice Adjei and Emmanuel Oppong. The siblings are originally from Ghana, West Africa, and have both lived in St. Cloud for more than a decade.

Adjei is director of multicultural services for St. Cloud Financial Credit Union. She said the application process often deters people in underserved communities from buying a home.

“We really want to make sure that they understand all the rules when it comes to housing, so that that wouldn’t deter them from being part of the solution,” Adjei said.

Dreamliner Estates secured a $3.4 million state grant from Minnesota Housing for the first phase. Daniel said they hope to complete four homes on St. Cloud’s south side by the end of the year. Eventually, they plan to build a total of 34 homes.

The plan calls for twin homes, each with four bedrooms, to accommodate large families or several generations living together, which is common in collectivist cultures.

“Some demographics prefer to have not just Mom, Dad and kids,” said Oppong, who also serves as the city’s community engagement director. “They want to have Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandad, nephews and cousins all living closely.”

An Islamic prohibition on paying or earning interest can make it challenging for Muslims to buy a home. Adjei said St. Cloud Financial Credit Union, Stearns Bank and other area lending institutions currently provide or plan to offer Sharia-compliant alternatives to traditional mortgages.

Both organizations say they know their projects are only a first step toward meeting the community's housing shortage.

“Like they say, a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step,” Bashir said. “This is that one step.”

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