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Residents press for TIF transparency and debate city-owned supportive housing at Marshall Avenue
Summary
Public testimony included calls for greater transparency in the city’s use of tax-increment financing (TIF) and mixed views on the proposed city acquisition of Marshall Avenue for a Familiar Faces supportive-housing project, with speakers asking for clearer operating-cost plans.
At the hearing, Bob Meschewski of the Citizen Insight Committee urged the city to disclose annual district-level TIF data and publish consistent criteria for using TIF, arguing some current TIF districts may not meet 'blight' definitions and that transparency is needed to evaluate effectiveness. "I ask that the city of St. Paul website provide information as identified in the insight report for each existing TIF district," he said.
Supporters of the Familiar Faces city-owned supportive housing project at Marshall Avenue defended the plan as a pathway to stable housing and reduced reliance on emergency services. Lynette Zika and other Isaiah-affiliated speakers asked the council to use HUD funding and city resources for the project, saying city ownership can ensure long-term affordability. Opponents or cautious speakers raised operating-cost concerns: Yan Chen said the city plans to acquire 286 Marshall Ave for $6,000,000 with an estimated $3,000,000 annual operating cost and warned that only two years of operating grant money are secured.
The hearing produced no final decision on the acquisition or TIF policy changes; the council closed the public hearing and will continue deliberations. Residents asked the council to weigh long-term operating commitments and provide clearer financial and performance data before large capital or operating commitments are finalized.
