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File #: 23-0173    Version: 1
Type: Resolution Status: Approved
File created: 4/26/2023 In control: Board of Hennepin County Commissioners
On agenda: 5/2/2023 Final action: 5/16/2023
Title: Authorize the issuance and sale of one or more tax-exempt multifamily housing revenue bonds by the HCHRA for a multi-property affordable housing preservation project at multiple addresses in Minneapolis

Item Description:

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Authorize the issuance and sale of one or more tax-exempt multifamily housing revenue bonds by the HCHRA for a multi-property affordable housing preservation project at multiple addresses in Minneapolis

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Resolution:

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APPROVING THE ISSUANCE OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING REVENUE BONDS AND NOTE BY THE Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, CHAPTER 462C, AS AMENDED, TO FINANCE A MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT TO BE LOCATED within Hennepin County

 

WHEREAS, under the provisions of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 462C, as amended (the “Act”), cities are authorized to finance multifamily housing developments through the issuance and sale of revenue obligations payable exclusively from the revenues of the multifamily housing development; and

 

WHEREAS, among the purposes authorized by the Act, proceeds derived from the sale of revenue obligations issued under the terms of the Act may be applied to make a loan to finance the acquisition and preparation of a site and the construction of a new, or the acquisition and rehabilitation of an existing, multifamily housing development, and in the making of loans to finance multifamily housing developments and the issuance of revenue obligations, the city may exercise any of the powers the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency may exercise under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 462A, as amended, without limitation under the provisions of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 475, as amended; and

 

WHEREAS, for purposes of the Act, the term “city” is defined to include a county housing and redevelopment authority created by special law or authorized by its county to exercise its powers pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 469.004; and

 

WHEREAS, the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (the “Issuer” or “HRA”) is a housing and redevelopment authority and a public body corporate and politic duly organized and existing under the Constitution and laws of the State of Minnesota, created in Hennepin County (the “County”) pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 383B.77 to exercise all the powers and duties of a housing and redevelopment authority under Minnesota Statutes, Sections 469.001 to 469.047; and

 

WHEREAS, at the request of Talmage Oakland Limited Partnership, a Minnesota limited partnership, or its affiliates or assigns (the “Borrower”), the Issuer is proposing to issue two series of multifamily housing revenue bonds or other obligations (the “Bonds”), in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $11,000,000, and use the proceeds derived from the sale of the Bonds to make loans (the “Loans”) to the Borrower; and

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower will apply the proceeds of the Loans to finance a portion of the cost of acquisition, rehabilitation, construction, and equipping of an existing affordable rental housing development, consisting of approximately 57 units in approximately 16 buildings and certain land and facilities functionally related and subordinate thereto, located at or about 1010-1058 11th Avenue Southeast; 502 2nd Avenue Southeast (containing 4 units with individual reassigned addresses of 504 and 506 Second Avenue SE and 201 and 203 Fifth Street SE); 2609, 2613, 2617, 2619, 2633, 2635 and 2653 Portland Avenue; 2628, 2632, 2634, 2640-2642 and 2644-2646 Oakland Avenue; and 610-612 27th Street East in the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota (collectively, the “Project”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested that the Issuer issue, sell, and deliver the Bonds, designated as (i) Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds (Talmage Oakland Project), Series 2023A and (ii) Multifamily Housing Revenue Note (Talmage Oakland Project), Series 2023B, in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $11,000,000; and

 

WHEREAS, the Bonds are proposed to be issued as “exempt facility bonds,” the interest on which is not includable in gross income for federal income tax purposes under Sections 103 and 141(e)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); and

 

WHEREAS, under Section 146 of the Code, the Issuer must receive an allocation of the bonding authority of the State of Minnesota in order to issue multifamily housing revenue obligations, the interest on which is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes under Sections 141(e)(1)(A), 142(a)(7), and 142(d) of the Code, and an application for such an allocation must be made pursuant to the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 474A (the “Allocation Act”); and

 

WHEREAS, in accordance with the authority granted under a resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Issuer (the “HRA Board”) on November 8, 2022, the Issuer and Kennedy & Graven, Chartered (“Bond Counsel”), in cooperation with the Borrower, submitted an application to the State of Minnesota Department of Management & Budget for an allocation of bonding authority for each separate project comprising the Project pursuant to Section 146 of the Code and the requirements of the Allocation Act; and

 

WHEREAS, the Issuer received allocations of the bonding authority of the State of Minnesota to issue tax-exempt multifamily housing revenue obligations for the Project, in the aggregate amount of $11,000,000 pursuant to Certificates of Allocation Numbers 438, 439, 440, 441 and 442, all dated January 10, 2023; and

 

WHEREAS, on March 14, 2023, the HRA Board held a public hearing, preceded by publication of a notice of public hearing on February 16, 2023 in Finance and Commerce, the official newspaper of the Issuer; and

 

WHEREAS, on April 4, 2023, the HRA Board held a public hearing, preceded by publication of a supplemental notice of public hearing on March 20, 2023 in the Star Tribune, a newspaper of general circulation in the County, which notice stated the time and place of the public hearing, that it would be held in person and via telephone and other electronic means and accessible to the residents of the County by calling a toll-free telephone number, a general description of the Project, the addresses of the sites comprising Project, the initial operator of the Project, and specified separately the maximum stated principal amount of tax-exempt obligations to be issued to finance each separate site comprising the Project; and

 

WHEREAS, in accordance with the Act, a Program for a Multifamily Housing Development (the “Housing Program”) was prepared on behalf of the Issuer with respect to the Project and submitted to Metropolitan Council on or before the day on which notice of the public hearing was published in a newspaper circulating generally in the County; and

 

WHEREAS, the public hearings were conducted in person and via telephone and other electronic means as allowed under Minnesota Statutes, Section 13D.021, as amended, and Revenue Procedure 2022-20, issued by the Internal Revenue Service on March 18, 2022; and

 

WHEREAS, under the provisions of Section 147(f) of the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations, the Bonds will not constitute exempt facility bonds unless the Bonds are approved by the governmental unit which issues the Bonds or on behalf of which the Bonds are issued after a public hearing following reasonable public notice; and

 

WHEREAS, under the terms of Section 147(f) of the Code, private activity bonds (such as the Bonds) will not be qualified bonds, the interest on which is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes, unless the issuance of the bonds has been approved by the applicable elected representative of the governmental unit which issued the bonds or on behalf of which the bonds were issued; and

 

WHEREAS, the applicable elected representative of a governmental unit means its elected legislative body or its chief elected executive office; if a governmental unit has no applicable elected representative then the applicable elected representative of such governmental unit is deemed to be the applicable elected representative of the next higher governmental unit from which the governmental unit derives its authority by: (i) the enactment of a specific law by or under which the governmental unit is created; (ii) otherwise empowering or approving the creation of the governmental unit; or (iii) appointing members to the governing body of the governmental unit; and

 

WHEREAS, the HRA has no applicable elected representative; the County is the next higher governmental unit from which the HRA derives its authority, and the Board of Commissioners of the County (the “County Board”) is an applicable elected representative of the County.

 

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Commissioners of Hennepin County, Minnesota the following:

 

1. County Board Approval of Issuance of the Bonds. As an applicable elected representative of the County and, therefore, the applicable elected representative of the HRA, the County Board hereby approves the issuance of the Bonds by the HRA in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $11,000,000 to finance the Project. The maximum principal amounts of the Bonds proposed to be issued to finance each of the sites comprising the Project shall be as follows:

 

 

Address(es)

Amount

Talmage Green

1010-1058 11th Avenue Southeast

$4,228,950

Little Talmage

502 2nd Avenue Southeast (containing 4 units with individual reassigned addresses of 504 and 506 Second Avenue SE and 201 and 203 Fifth Street SE)

$881,650

Oakland Square #1

2609, 2613, 2617 and 2619 Portland Avenue

$2,097,150

Oakland Square #2

2633 and 2635 Portland Avenue and 2628, 2632, and 2634 Oakland Avenue

$1,182,500

Oakland Square #3

2653 Portland Avenue; 610-612 27th Street East, 2640-2642 and 2644-2646 Oakland Avenue

$2,609,750

 

2. Special, Limited Obligation of the Issuer. The Bonds when, as, and if issued, shall be special, limited obligations of the Issuer, payable solely from the revenues received from the loan agreements between the Issuer and the Borrower, and other property pledged to the payment thereof, and shall not constitute a general or moral obligation of the County or the Issuer. The owners of the Bonds shall never have the right to compel any exercise of the taxing power of the County or the Issuer to pay the outstanding principal of the Bonds, or the interest thereon or to enforce payment thereof against any property of the County or the Issuer. The Bonds shall recite that the Bonds are issued pursuant to the Act, and that the Bonds, including interest and premium, if any, thereon, are payable solely from the revenues and assets pledged to the payment thereof, and the Bonds shall not constitute a debt of the Issuer or the County within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory limitation.

 

3. Housing Program. The Housing Program was submitted to the Metropolitan Council for its review and comment. All comments received from the Metropolitan Council were presented to this County Board on or prior to the date of the public hearing.

 

4. Documents Furnished to Bond Counsel. The Chair, County Administrator, and other officers of the County are authorized and directed to furnish to Bond Counsel, certified copies of all proceedings and records of the County relating to the HRA, the Project, the Bonds, and the Housing Program, and such other affidavits, certificates, and other documents as may be required by Bond Counsel to show the facts relating to the validity of the Bonds and related documents, as such facts appear from the books and records in the custody and control of such officers or as otherwise known to them; and all such certified copies, certificates, affidavits, and other documents, including any heretofore furnished, shall constitute representations of the County as to the truth of all statements contained therein.

 

5. Costs. The County Board has adopted this resolution (“Resolution”) in reliance upon the assurances from the Borrower that the Borrower will, upon demand, reimburse the County and the Issuer for costs paid or incurred by the County or the Issuer in connection with this Resolution, the Bonds, the Project, and the Housing Program.

 

6. Effective Date. This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage this 16th day of May 2023.

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Background:

The Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HCHRA) is authorized to issue conduit financing, including housing revenue bonds, pursuant to the provision of Minnesota Statutes, Chapters 462C and 469. The bonds are repayable solely from revenue and assets pledged in their support by the developer and are not a debt or property tax obligation of Hennepin County or the HCHRA.

 

Trellis Co., on behalf of Talmage Oakland Limited Partnership (Developer), submitted an application for housing revenue bond financing to assist in the rehabilitation of Talmage Green and Oakland Square, which together comprise 57 affordable rental housing units in Minneapolis. The project is known as both “Talmage-Oakland” and “Oakland-Talmage,” and is located at these addresses:

 

                     Talmage Green: 1010-1058 11th Avenue Southeast

                     Little Talmage: 502 2nd Avenue Southeast (containing four units with individual reassigned addresses of 504 and 506 Second Avenue SE and 201 and 203 Fifth Street SE)

                     Oakland Square #1: 2609, 2613, 2617 and 2619 Portland Avenue

                     Oakland Square #2: 2633 and 2635 Portland Avenue and 2628, 2632, 2634 Oakland Avenue

                     Oakland Square #3: 2653 Portland Avenue; 610-612 27th Street East, 2640-2642 and 2644-2646 Oakland Avenue

 

The project will contain one one-bedroom, 32 two-bedroom, 19 three-bedroom, and five four-bedroom apartments. The properties will continue to provide affordable housing to households at or below 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) and will be renovated to address critical physical needs. Affordability will be further enhanced by commitments of Project-Based Section 8 to all units. The project will remain affordable for a minimum 40-year period.

 

The current annual income limits established by HUD for Hennepin County range from $24,650 for a one-person household to $35,200 for a four-person household at 30 percent of AMI, $41,100 to $58,650 at 50 percent of AMI, and $49,320 to $70,380 at 60 percent of AMI. Project rents for Oakland-Talmage are determined by the Project-Based Section 8 program.

 

Households will pay 30 percent of their income toward rent, with the Section 8 program contributing the remainder of the rent after the tenant-paid portion. In no event will households pay more than the HUD rent limits established for 60percent of AMI households.

 

The project meets the guidelines for conduit financing, as established by Resolution No. 23-HCHRA-0008. The HCHRA Board of Commissioners authorized preliminary approval for the issuance of bonds on November 8, 2022 (Resolution 22-HCHRA-0044); held a public hearing on the project on April 4, 2023; and authorized final approval of the issuance of bonds on May 9, 2023 (pending as of this writing).

 

Current Request: Approve final issuance of multifamily housing revenue bonds by the HCHRA to finance a multi-property affordable housing preservation project at multiple addresses in Minneapolis.

 

Impact/Outcomes:  Issuance of multifamily housing revenue bonds will facilitate the preservation of 57 affordable rental homes, all of which will be affordable to, and reserved for, households at or below 60 percent of AMI, and all of which will have affordability further enhanced by commitments of Project-Based Section 8.

 

Housing Disparity: Black, Latino/x, and Native American Households of color are disproportionately housing cost burdened. This request creates Project-Based Section 8 program housing opportunities allowing households to pay 30 percent of their income toward rent, with the Section 8 program contributing the remainder of the rent.

 

recommendation

Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval