CommonBond Rises to the Challenge to Provide Affordable Childcare

CommonBond's mission is to create stable homes, strong futures and vibrant communities for individuals and families with low incomes. A most visible part of their mission is to construct apartment buildings that provide stable, affordable housing throughout the Upper Midwest. Today, they have more than 7,000 apartment and townhome units across 60 cities and house more than 13,000 people.

What differentiates CommonBond, however, are the wraparound services they offer to help residents achieve their goals. These life-enhancing services include health and wellness programs, education and career advancement services and community building initiatives. Additional services support residents who have difficulty maintaining stable housing due to substance abuse disorders, mental health conditions, a criminal background or history of homelessness.

A New Approach to Childcare

Despite their extensive list of impactful programs and services, CommonBond is continually searching for additional ways to help those in the community who face inequities. A case in point is Rise Early Learning Center at Rise on 7, Minnesota's first co-located affordable housing and childcare community.

“It's so important to have childcare and housing in the same building. Many of our residents lack access to transportation, which can make childcare inaccessible to them. A lack of childcare not only makes it virtually impossible for a parent to work, but it impacts a child's school readiness and future success," said Alecia Leonard, Vice President of Advantage Services with CommonBond.

Located in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Rise on 7, CommonBond's newest housing development, opened in November of 2023. The 120-unit building, which is 100% leased and houses more than 300 residents, addresses the need for affordable housing in one of the Twin Cities' most sought after and expensive communities. Rise Early Learning Center, a new nonprofit founded by Westwood Lutheran Church and developed in partnership with local nonprofit Way to Grow, helps prepare children for school and provides high-quality, affordable childcare and early learning to Rise on 7 residents – as well as the broader community – in a safe and inclusive environment. It opened in January 2024.

“Rise Early Learning Center serves 62 infants, toddlers and preschoolers, and 12 of those spots are reserved for Rise on 7 residents. The resident spots are offered at a reduced rate, but all 62 spots are for families making 60% of the area median household income," said Alecia. “The center is completely full and has a long waiting list, which really demonstrates how significant the need is for affordable childcare. I'm grateful to the Opus Foundation for what they've done to support this initiative."

Funding the Finish-Out

According to Kristi Nichols, Senior Program Officer with the Opus Foundation, the Foundation provided CommonBond with a $100,000 grant in 2023, distributed over two years to finish out the childcare space and turn blank walls into a creative, engaging and educational place for children to learn and grow.

“One of the Foundation priorities is to fund critical needs in Opus communities to make them better places to live, work and raise families," Kristi said. “Rise on 7 is located near Opus' recently completed Corsa Apartments, so it was a natural fit to support CommonBond and Rise Early Learning Center."

Of the Opus Foundation's support, Adam Faitek, Vice President of Development with CommonBond, shared, “It was absolutely critical to making Rise Early Learning Center a reality. None of our traditional funding sources in the building of affordable housing units could be used to pay for the buildout of the childcare center – plumbing, drywall, electrical, etc. The Opus Foundation helped fill that gap."

To demonstrate the impact of the Foundation's contribution, Adam enthusiastically shared, “One of our earliest move-ins was a mom and her twins. The mom has been hired as a teacher at Rise Early Learning Center and will be sending her children there for care as well. This is exactly what we hoped would happen when we envisioned this project!"

Supporting Uncommon Services

The wraparound services CommonBond offers residents are not common among affordable housing providers, but, to Alecia, they are equally important. “Yes, housing is the foundation for succeeding in all areas of life, but that housing must be stable, and that requires residents to have an income, to manage their health and to have access to food, childcare and transportation," she said. “This is where our direct resident services come into play to help residents not only acquire housing but to maintain that housing."

“We have a longstanding relationship with CommonBond," said Kristi. “Their mission directly aligns with the Foundation's priorities to build community and support partners who are driving real, positive change for underserved individuals and families. It is incredibly rewarding to continue to support this organization and all of its good work."

Since 2006, the Foundation has provided Common Bond with $707,500 in grants and a $500,000 program-related investment (PRI).

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The Opus Foundation® is the corporate foundation for The Opus Group and is building community for a better tomorrow by supporting projects and programs that make our communities better places to live, work and raise families. The Foundation is committed to improving conditions that disproportionately affect historically underinvested individuals and communities by resourcing key focus areas of early childhood education, youth development, workforce development, community revitalization and pressing/emerging needs. Read more about the Foundation's work. The Opus Foundation is a separate entity from The Opus Group and is led by its own Board of Directors.

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Photo Credit: Line Break Media