HRA approves 2026 Hennepin County HRA budget and a slate of housing and small-business actions

The Hennepin County Housing & Redevelopment Authority (HRA) met after the county board and approved its 2026 budget, authorized participation with Minnesota Housing's Cities Participation Program and approved multiple agreements to support affordable housing and small businesses.

HRA staff said the 2026 budget totals approximately $24,938,959 with a final tax levy of $22,186,537, representing a 0% change from 2025. Officials said the budget continues HRA priorities including supportive housing, workforce housing and transit-oriented development.

On program actions, the HRA authorized negotiation of a participation agreement with Minnesota Housing to support below-market mortgage loans for first-time, low- and moderate-income homebuyers; agreed to amendments for management and reserve handling at a veterans/community housing project; and approved agreements with partner organizations to provide compliance monitoring, technical assistance for supportive housing stabilization, and cohort-based small-business programming. The HRA also approved contracts supporting the Elevate Hennepin advising network and a pilot small-business employee hardship fund to be administered by the Minneapolis Foundation.

Commissioners highlighted results from 2025: initiation of more than 1,000 affordable housing units in construction, $47,000,000 leveraged in non-county financing and Elevate Hennepin's support for hundreds of small businesses. The HRA voted unanimously to approve the budget and the program actions.