About

Mission: To improve the lives of Dakota County residents and enhance the economic vitality of communities through housing and community development.

Vision: To be a recognized leader in housing and community development by creatively meeting the needs of our stakeholders while maintaining a high level of financial performance.

Values:

Collaboration · Creating and maintaining dynamic partnerships with community stakeholders.
Innovation · Using creative ideas and strategies to address housing and community development needs.
Integrity · Demonstrating fairness and honesty while meeting the highest level of ethical conduct.
Quality · Maintaining excellence in the efficient, effective and responsive delivery of service.
Respect · Embracing the diversity of clients, staff and partners.

History:

For over 45 years, the Dakota County CDA has been a leader in affordable housing and community development. Our vision is to be a recognized leader in housing and community development by creatively meeting the needs of our stakeholders while maintaining a high level of financial performance. Through of the dedication of our staff and support of Dakota County, Dakota County cities and our community partners, the CDA has grown into one of the largest housing and community development program providers in the Midwest administering over 30 different programs and serving over 10,000 people daily.

The CDA was established in 1971 as the Dakota County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, pursuant to special Minnesota Legislation. The agency received funding for our first program, the Housing Choice Voucher Program, in 1975.

In 1983, the CDA issued our first bonds for the First Time Homebuyer Program. Since that time, we have provided low-interest mortgage financing for thousands of homeowners purchasing their first home in Dakota County.

In 1984, our mission of providing community development opportunities grew. The CDA became an entitlement jurisdiction for the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. The CDBG program is administered by the CDA on behalf of Dakota County. CDBG allows local governments to establish programs or develop projects that benefit low- and moderate-income residents to prevent or eliminate blighted conditions. Over the last three decades, the CDA has administered over $50 million in CDBG funding to eliminate blighted conditions within our communities.

In the late 1980s, in partnership with Dakota County, the CDA embarked on a 10-year plan to locally finance and construct affordable housing for seniors. In 1996, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners approved a second 10-year plan and in 2007 approved a third phase. Today, our Senior Housing Program houses over 1,700 households throughout Dakota County.

In 1990, to address affordable housing needs for families, the CDA developed the Workforce Housing Partnership Program. The program partners the CDA with a private corporation to fund the construction of workforce housing for moderate-income families. Since that time, the CDA has constructed 25 developments. The Workforce Housing Program houses over 800 families providing them with safe and affordable townhome rental units located in nine Dakota County cities.

The CDA is consistently designated as a High Performer from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the administration of the Housing Choice Voucher Program and Scattered Site Public Housing Program and also received the Blue Ribbon Best Practices Award for the overall achievement of affordable housing goals.

For the past 22 years, the agency has received no adjusting journal entries or compliance findings in its annual CDA audit. The CDA published its first Annual Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002. This ACFR received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. The CDA has received this award each year since 2002.