HENNEPIN COUNTY: COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT:

In 1982, the Hennepin County Community Services Department and the Minneapolis Community Development Agency (MCDA) convened the Congregate Housing Facility Planning Committee to address the elderly population’s need for a housing option between independent living with supportive services and nursing home care. The committee was composed of representatives from organizations most affected by the problems of residents who were having difficulty living independently in Minneapolis public housing, including Hennepin County’s Community Services Department, the MCDA, Metropolitan Council, Senior Citizen Centers of Greater Minneapolis, Inc., Volunteers of America, Combined Nursing Services, public housing tenant councils, and four residents from senior high rises. The committee focused on low-income senior citizens with complex service needs and eligible handicapped people of all ages. They suggested keeping the program costs at a minimum by reallocating resources and unifying existing community services and cooperation among different government agencies and private non-profit organizations. They hoped that this design would enable residents of public housing to join the congregate housing program at no additional cost. The committee developed a proposal of joint sponsorship between the Hennepin County Community Services Department and the MCDA. The program was unique not only for the cooperation of the two agencies but it involved no requests for special grants. In December 1983, the Congregate Housing Program, located at Lyndale Manor in North Minneapolis, opened its doors to the first residents.

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The records document both the organization and operation of the program including the agreement between the MCDA and the Hennepin County Community Services (1985), quarterly reports and activity updates (1984-1996), scattered issues of a program newsletter, a songbook (undated) and menus (1984-1987), the final report of the Congregate Housing Facility Planning Committee (1982), publicity (1983-1994), application materials (1988), resident lists (1983-1989) and visitation records (1986-1989), and congregate housing study reports (1981-1996).

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Access Restrictions:

Visitation records include private information about individuals. Records with private information are closed for 75 years from date of last entry in the record. The restricted records are noted in the finding aid. Researchers must apply for permission to use these records. Please consult library staff for more information.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Hennepin County (Minn.). Community Services Department. Congregate Housing Program Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 998-81

Processing Information:

Weeded and processed by: Angela Goertz, January 1998

Catalog ID number: 990017353750104294

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Congregate housing -- Minnesota -- Hennepin County.

Older people -- Dwellings -- Minnesota -- Hennepin County.

Older people -- Economic conditions -- Minnesota -- Hennepin County.

Older people -- Services for -- Minnesota -- Hennepin County.

People with disabilities -- Housing -- Minnesota -- Hennepin County.

People with disabilities -- Services for -- Minnesota -- Hennepin County.

Organizations:

Combined Nursing Services (Minneapolis, Minn.).

Lyndale Manor (Minneapolis, Minn.).

Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities Area.

Minneapolis Community Development Agency.

Senior Citizen Centers of Greater Minneapolis, Inc.

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