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Lawmakers hear proposal for 70-unit Scofield Village to add workforce housing in St. Cloud
Summary
Senate File 2503 would provide $5 million toward a $20 million project led by Cairo (Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization) to create 70 apartments and a community center (Scofield Village) in Saint Cloud; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion.
Senate File 2503, introduced by Senator Putnam, requests $5,000,000 for a project led by Cairo (Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization) to build Scofield Village, a 70-unit apartment complex and community center in Saint Cloud intended to serve regional workforce and multigenerational families.
Senator Putnam said Central Minnesota—including Saint Cloud—needs housing that fits large and multigenerational families and supports regional workforce needs. Abdiqadir Bashir, founder and executive director of Cairo, described the organization’s work serving refugees, immigrants, BIPOC communities and low‑income families with culturally responsive services in education, workforce development and housing. Testimony included personal accounts from Farhiyah Iman and Nemo Arte describing housing instability faced by working families and seniors in Saint Cloud.
Bashir said Scofield Village would be part of a larger $20 million project and that the $5 million state contribution would help close the financing gap to deliver 70 family‑friendly apartments. Testifiers emphasized the project’s significance for workforce stability, family stability, and the local economy. Committee members expressed support; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion and no final appropriation vote was recorded at the hearing.
