“The solution to housing in Rochester is in this room and in this community.”

These words by DMC Executive Director Patrick Seeb kicked off the 2022 Rochester Housing Summit on Thursday, May 12th at the Mayo Civic Center. The Rochester Housing Summit provided a deep dive into understanding Rochester’s housing needs. There was also a spotlight focused on the opportunities, potential development sites, and the financial tools available to bring more housing to the community.

The summit included experts from the City of Rochester, Olmsted County, Destination Medical Center, and the Coalition for Rochester Area Housing. Wes Johnson, Senior Underwriter for the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund and Anne Ketz, Director of Real Estate Development and Asset Management for Urban Homeworks were also on hand to discuss the financial tools and innovative housing approaches that are available across the state.

One of the keynote presenters was Johnny Opara, President, and CEO of JO Companies, LLC, a Black-owned, mission-driven real estate development company that specializes in developing affordable multifamily housing, workforce housing, and selling residential and commercial real estate. When asked about the key ingredients in creating equitable housing, Opara said, “Engage the community, be fair, listen first and foremost. I think you have a really strong chance for projects to move forward.”

“I would like to thank all of our sponsors, our partners and panelists, that helped put together this amazing day,” said DMC Director of Housing and Sustainability Kevin Bright. We are very appreciative. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

You can watch the 2022 Rochester Housing Summit on DMC’s YouTube channel. Click on this link for access to the materials presented at the summit.

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