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MINNEAPOLIS, MN - April 7, 2005 - Community members joined Twin Cities-based nonprofit housing provider Central Community Housing Trust today to celebrate the grand opening of apartments for homeless and at-risk youth in downtown Minneapolis.

CCHT completed a renovation of the former St. Barnabas Hospital building to create 39 efficiency apartments for youth and 13 for low-income adults.

The building was constructed in 1910 as an addition to the original St. Barnabas Hospital building and is the only portion of the hospital still standing. The building had been vacant for three decades when it was donated to CCHT by Allina Hospitals and Clinics.

Youth residents will pay 30% of their income in rent and will receive supportive services through social service provider YouthLink. YouthLink staff will provide case management, life skills programming, and other services to help youth move towards independence.

The grand opening event featured Fox 9 News Reporter Robyne Robinson as emcee and speakers Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Commissioner Tim Marx, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and formerly homeless youth Rachael Johnson.

Rybak told attendees that he was born 50 years ago in the building that is now St. Barnabas Apartments. "I was a lucky kid. I was born into a family that loved and supported me." He asked attendees to think of the many children grow up without love and support and "think about the arms of the community that has to reach out and hold them."

Johnson described living in a violent home with a mother who was using drugs. She said she couldn't stay there but had nowhere else to go. "I had given up hope. I was working at Crown Theaters, I was pregnant, and I didn't have a place to live."

Through a caseworker, Rachael found CCHT's Archdale Apartments for homeless youth. "They helped me just in time," she said. "They helped me move in, set up my place. They helped me with everything." Rachael attended the event with her 8-month-old son.

In addition to CCHT, YouthLink, and Allina Hospitals and Clinics, the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota was a collaborator on the project, raising $400,000 in capital funding.

Limited partner ESIC also played a major role. "There is no greater satisfaction for ESIC than to invest in a development such as St. Barnabas and see it become a reality," said Philip Porter, vice president of ESIC's Midwest acquisitions team. "Our partnerships with community leaders like the Central Community Housing Trust and committed corporations enabled us to help create an environment for homeless and at-risk youth that not only provides quality, affordable housing, but also an opportunity for residents to flourish."

Rental applications are currently being processed with residents expected to begin moving into St. Barnabas Apartments on April 15, 2005.

Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT) is an award-winning nonprofit provider of quality affordable housing for the Twin Cities Metro Area, providing homes for more than 2,000 people annually. Since 1987, CCHT has built and renovated 23 properties, totaling 1,252 units of housing. Its mission is to create and sustain quality affordable housing that strengthens lives and communities.

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