Mayor's Urban Neighborhood Initiative - Pilot Project





MUNI-Mayor’s Urban Neighborhood Initiative
PILOT PROJECT-Started May 2007

Preserving neighborhoods as a quality place for our individuals, our families, and our workforce.

Statement of Intent

Grand Forks is a community with an excellent quality of life. A significant reason for this is the blend of distinct neighborhood characters throughout the city. AS new residential and commercial growth pushes the borders of the community, there must be a renewed and concentrated focus on investing in our existing, traditional neighborhood of Grand Forks to ensure they remain quality places for individuals and families to live, work, learn, and play.

The Mayor’s Urban Neighborhood Initiative (MUNI) is intended to provide a model for a process where the city can be a catalyst for diverse efforts, programs, and organizations that initiate a long-term dialogue with and between neighbors and protect the vital stock of existing workforce housing.

The Tenets of MUNI

Begin with a single, well-defined neighborhood as a pilot project, understanding that implementation with subsequent neighborhoods may utilize similar processes but distinct programs.
Initiate dialogue with and between neighbors to engage them to strengthen the neighborhoods they’re proud to be a part of, to give a clear voice to neighborhood cares and concerns, and to take advantage of opportunities.
Strengthen, protect and preserve the foundation of our community—older neighborhoods—as we continue to see the community expand. Engage the residents of these neighborhoods in a discussion that will define actions and tools that will help these neighborhoods remain strong and vibrant.
Preserve precious stock of workforce housing and promote long-term and affordable home ownership for our current residents and for the growing number of workers that our community and its expanding industry expects.
Encourage partnerships and collaboration between entities such as neighbors, city government, school district, park district, private institutions, businesses, the University of North Dakota and non-profits.

Communication is the Foundation

In order to achieve sustained and substantial effects, there must be communication between elected officials, city staff, community stakeholders and neighborhood residents. Furthermore, fostering communication between neighbors and strengthening the social network of the neighborhood will be a major goal.
Pilot Project Area—Near North Side

Neighborhood Demographics
Historically Significant- Original Township plat
Approximately 580 Housing Properties
Approximately 320 Owner-Occupied Properties
Approximately 260 Renter-Occupied Properties
Approximately 81% of properties built before 1929
Schools—Wilder Elementary School and St. Michael’s Preschool and Elementary School
Churches—Augustana Lutheran Church and St. Michael’s Catholic Church

Neighborhood Meetings/Walking Tours

Neighbors have been invited to attend neighborhood walking tours, planning sessions and meetings in which government officials and other stakeholders have attended. These forums have provided a place for residents to have input in the future discussions of their neighborhood.

Participating Partners:
All neighborhood residents
School District Officials
Wilder PTO
City Departments/Housing Authority
City Council and Mayor
Non-profit organizations
Historic Preservation Commission
Community Foundation
St. Michael’s/Augustana Church officials
Center for Community Engagement at UND
Red River Valley Community Action
YMCA
Riverside Neighborhood

Communication Program

City Staff and neighborhood residents have worked closely with the UND Center for Community Engagement to establish and implement a communication plan for the Near North Neighborhood.

HAPPEN (Housing Programs to Protect and Preserve Established Neighborhoods)

HAPPEN is the umbrella under which MUNI housing initiatives will be placed. The goal of HAPPEN is to preserve the character of established neighborhoods, add to the long-term value and life of workforce housing, prevent deferred maintenance and property deterioration and increase number of owner occupied properties.

HomeCents Loan Program

In 2006, the City and Red River Valley Community Action joined forces on a program designed to meet the unique opportunities of preserving entry-level, workforce housing in Grand Forks’ older established neighborhoods. Using funds provided by the City of Grand Forks, RRVCA administers HomeCents, a low-interest home rehab program open to families with incomes less than 80% of the area median income. Homes must be owner-occupied and located in a targeted area. Loans range from a minimum of $3,000 to a maximum of $25,000 and carry a 2% fixed interest rate with no home equity requirements.

Gate City Bank Rehab Loan Program

This program is intended to augment HomeCents by providing below-market rate loans to homeowners between 80 and 120% of area median income. Gate City Bank has offered a pool of $1 Million dedicated to home improvement loans.

Low-Moderate Income Neighborhood Infrastructure Program

Provide up to $100,000 from fund 2169 (Instrastructure Sales Tax). These funds will be used for identified infrastructure projects to cover the cost typically specially assessed to adjacent homeowners.

In 2009, this funding was used to pay for several sidewalk and alley entry way replacements, as well as corner curb cut-outs in the Near North Neighborhoods.

Community Foundation/Knight Foundation Funding Opportunities

In 2008, the Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks and Region received a planning grant from Knight Foundation. This grant was used to hold two neighborhood planning charrettes, in which neighbors were asked to envision the future of their neighborhood. Officials from UND also facilitated several meetings with key stakeholders to use the information gathered at the charrettes. A multi-faceted grant proposal was put together to be submitted to Knight Foundation for a larger action grant.

In 2009, Knight Foundation awarded the City of Grand Forks a 4-year $1 million grant. The purpose of this grant was to increase resident engagement, property values, and percentage of homeownership within the Near North Neighborhood.




City of Grand Forks
255 N 4th Street * Grand Forks, ND 58203 * Phone (701) 746-INFO