[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 155 (Friday, November 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY AND THE 
                  MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARTIN OLAV SABO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 5, 1997

  Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Minneapolis 
Community Development Agency and the Minneapolis Public Housing 
Authority. These agencies are celebrating 50 years of exceptional 
service to the citizens and businesses of Minneapolis, MN.
  The Minneapolis Housing and Redevelopment Authority [MHRA] was 
established on November 5, 1947, for the purpose of eliminating urban 
blight and developing low-cost housing for Minneapolis residents. The 
MHRA developed its first locally financed renewal project in 1950; 
built, owned, and managed its first public housing units in 1952; 
developed its first federally assisted project in 1955; and over the 
next three decades, built and managed nearly 8,000 units of public 
housing and implemented hundreds of redevelopment projects, providing 
affordable housing, commercial and industrial development sites.
  In 1981, the MHRA merged with the Minneapolis Industrial Development 
Commission and the development division of the city coordinator's 
office to create the Minneapolis Community Development Agency [MCDA], a 
new streamlined agency to coordinate city development resources. In 
1991, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority [MPHA] separated from 
the MCDA, creating two independent agencies.
  Mr. Speaker, the MCDA and the MPHA have made significant and lasting 
contributions to the quality of life in Minneapolis in the areas of 
housing, economic development, and the arts, and continue to forge new 
traditions in community building. These agencies have received numerous 
awards and recognitions of their outstanding achievements in the areas 
of housing and economic development, including a 1971 award from the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development naming the MHRA the most 
outstanding urban renewal agency in the Nation, the first such award 
ever presented. Congratulations to these two agencies and best wishes 
for continued success in their efforts to make Minneapolis an 
outstanding city in which to live, work, and play.

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