MHT Housing representative vows no displacement as Highland Park rehab plan advances

MHT Housing representatives told Highland Park council members and residents on Monday that planned rehabilitation of several affordable-housing properties will start in September, run roughly 14 months, and will not displace current tenants.

The presenter (speaker S1), speaking for the owner’s team, walked residents through pro forma line items — citing HVAC and door work in the multimillion-dollar range — and laid out operational plans to keep tenants in place while construction happens. "They were not to be displaced in any shape or form," the presenter said, describing how a prior project at Downes Manor used furnished, short-term units, storage for belongings and written guarantees to allow residents to return.

Why it matters: Residents pressed officials on long-term affordability, safety and city costs. Council members and residents said previous rehabilitation projects elsewhere led in some cases to forced lease changes, rent increases and displacement. The council heard specific concerns about Manchester Place, where a resident alleged new leases and rent hikes followed approvals; a resident said, "They have displaced a great deal of people, and they have forced people to write new leases." The presenter promised to raise those concerns directly with the owner and reiterated the commitment to avoid displacement here.

The presenters also outlined resident protections and oversight. Staff (speaker S2) said the projects will follow HUD and MSHDA notice and compliance requirements, including submitting actual resident notification letters to regulators. On recertification, staff and the presenter said tenants will follow the normal annual recertification schedule; the teams do not plan to require new leases because of the rehabilitation and the property ownership will not change.

Safety and services were central to the exchanges. Residents asked about fire suppression and evacuation in high-rise buildings and about elevator reliability; the presenter said the renovation will include elevator upgrades and that the team would evaluate fire-safety accommodations within budget. Security plans include increased on-site security, additional lighting and cooperation with Highland Park police; "We're working with the city of Highland Park on security," the presenter said.

Budget and timeline details were discussed but not finalized. The presenter read multiple pro forma lines during the Q&A — for example, HVAC and door lines in the multimillion-dollar range and an external-site improvement line of about 324,000 per site shown in the pro forma — and staff confirmed the city’s negotiated PILOT rate will increase from 4% to 6% (a change the council said helps but does not fully cover city service costs). The presenter said some properties have higher construction needs (Gabrielle was singled out) while smaller properties have lower totals; one construction figure mentioned in discussion was 2.8 million for Highland Manor construction work.

Resident services: The team said a stronger on-site resident-services coordinator will be placed at the properties, with contracted partners bringing programs for seniors and families. Staff mentioned partnering with PACE for elderly services and said service coordinators will schedule on-site events, informational outings and assistance to help residents access healthcare and other supports.

Logistics and operations: Residents requested better building/unit identification (for deliveries and wayfinding), copies of certificates of compliance when permitted, and attention to graffiti or lease violations; staff said compliance documents are kept in the office (or electronically) and that graffiti tied to resident households can be handled as a lease violation while management works with police and city staff for enforcement.

What’s next: No formal council vote was recorded during this session; the chair said the owner’s representative ("Mister Fox" in the transcript) would return for the vote. Council members signaled continuing concern about whether PILOT revenue and other funding options sufficiently cover added city costs for police, fire and ambulance service. The presenter and staff said they would return with additional details and would schedule resident meetings to gather input on programming and construction logistics.

The meeting adjourned at 7 p.m.