Our Impacts in 2025

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS IN 2025

The 2025 National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Award of Excellence in Affordable Housing Innovation for the Bluestem Apartment Restore-Rebuild

The 2025 NAHRO Outstanding Professional of the Year award to Melissa Taphorn

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certificate in Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program

The Economic Development Association of Minnesota 2025 Innovation Award – Twin Cities Metro for the Exploring Careers Through Industry Teacher Externships (EXCITE) 2025 program

• 3,500 Washington County households, impacting over 9,100 residents.
• 150 businesses seeking to establish or grow.

We helped increase and preserve the supply of affordable housing:

• Finalized construction of the Washington County Emergency Housing Services Building (EHSB), which provides 30 units of emergency housing with services for adults experiencing homelessness.
• Financed the new construction and preservation of 778 affordable rental units by allocating $12 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), the highest number of applications approved in any year by the CDA.
• Allocated $2 million of Growing Affordable Rental and Owner-Occupied Housing in Washington County (GROW) Fund loans to create or preserve 368 apartments.
• Preserved 70 affordable apartments by issuing our first Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) GROW loan.
• Issued over $36 million in tax-exempt private activity bonds for preservation and creation of affordable units for three developments.
• Supported 156 households experiencing homelessness through the allocation of $300,000 of HOME American Rescue Plan Act funds.
• Invested over $165,000 of CDBG funds to improve the condition of owner-occupied homes by closing on eight Home Improvement Loans and over $133,000 of state-allocated funds on six Repair and Renovate program loans.
• Assisted rural 12 homeowners with repair or replacement of aging and failing septic systems through our partnership with Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment, protecting water resources.

We helped stabilize housing costs:

• Provided rental assistance to a monthly average of 725 households through state and federal voucher programs, helping to make affordable homes available for seniors, families, people with disabilities, and veterans. More participant households are moving into the county than leaving, continuing a years-long trend.
• Partnered with 24 new landlords for a total of 184. The number of private landlords participating in rent assistance programs continues to grow.
• Advised 21 homeowners who were behind on mortgage payments. Over 95% prevented foreclosure or are working through loss mitigation.
• Prepared 140 new homebuyers through free, in-person or virtual educational workshops.
• Provided personalized counseling to 42 homebuyers on financial wellbeing, improving credit ratings, and lending or purchase plans.
• Counseled 85 senior homeowners considering a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (reverse mortgage).
• Provided funds to nine first-generation homebuyers.
• Operated 1,149 affordable apartments, bringing much-needed homes to low- and moderate-income working families, veterans, those with disabilities, and seniors.

We helped create and grow businesses:

• Assisted 109 small businesses through the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers’ Open to Business consultation services. MCCD assisted with $85,000 in business financing within the county.
• Partnered with local chambers of commerce to strengthen business expertise through two peer‑to‑peer workshops and expert‑led discussions.
• Backed backed the revitalization of vacant and underutilized sites throughout the county with $67,500 in Predevelopment Finance Funds and four new EPA-approved site assessments.
• Grew the local talent pool by joining with the county’s Workforce Development Division and local businesses to help 350 students and adults explore local careers using virtual reality.
• Supported workforce talent growth through in-school programs, county and state initiatives, and the EXCITE Program—a collaboration of local businesses and educators that enabled 57 teachers to tour and learn about local businesses and career opportunities for Washington County high school students.