Racial Equity Impact Analysis (REIA)

The Racial Equity Impact Analysis helps the City consider racial equity outcomes when shaping policies, practices, programs and budgets.

Minnesota Historical Society Certified Local Government (CLG) grant for Washburn - Fair Oaks Historic District - REIA

Section 1: Background

Does this impact one of the City's Goal Areas

Policy Goals

Operational Goals

Public Safety	No
Housing	Yes
Economic Development	No
Public Services	No
Environmental Justice	No
Built Environment & Transportation	Yes
Public Health	No
Arts & Culture	No

Workforce	No
Spending	No
Data	Yes
Community Engagement	No

Describe the impact on selected goal areas.

This grant will be used to fund a study to update the roster of contributing and non-contributing resources in the locally designated Washburn-Fair Oaks Historic district that was last updated in 1976. The inventory of resources and alteration analysis within this study provides important information to state and federal tax credit applications that support the rehabilitation and stewardship of the buildings in this district, which are primarily residential and include a few institutional uses.

Who participated in completing this analysis?

Rattana Sengsoulichanh and John Smoley

Section 2: Data

LIST THE SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIES THAT WILL BE IMPACTED AND THE RACIAL DEMOGRAPHICS OF CONSTITUENTS IN THOSE AREAS:

The historic district is located in south Minneapolis in the Whittier neighborhood. The geographic scope is defined by East Franklin Avenue on the north, Interstate 35W on the east, East 26th Street on the south, and the alley between Nicollet Avenue and First Avenue south on the west.

According to the 2015 – 2019 ACS 5-year estimates, the racial demographics of the Whitter neighborhood is 18.5% Black, 3.8% Asian, 16.0% Hispanic or Latino, 4.9% Two or more races, and 56.1% white.

What does available data tell you about how constituents from BIPOC communities currently relate to the desired outcome as compared to white constituents?

The Washburn-Fair Oaks Historic District contains a significant concentration of residences built by prominent Minneapolis developers in popular architecture styles that existed in the late 19th and early 20th century. The district includes a range of housing types including single-family, duplexes, and multifamily apartment buildings that serves households with a median household income of $38,000, compared to the median household income citywide at $62,500.

What data is unavailable or missing? How can you obtain additional data?

The consultant and staff will rely on reconnaissance level survey, permitting data, and any evidence of property alternations to inform the inventory work. This will require informing property owners of the ongoing work of updating the inventory and soliciting photos and plans to show changes to buildings over time.

Section 3: Community Engagement

Using the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) Public Participation Spectrum, which participation strategy(s) was used when engaging those who would be most impacted?

Inform	Yes
Consult	No
Involve	No
Collaborate	No
Empower	No

Describe the Engagement and what have you learned?

City staff and the consultant will reach out to property owners, and work with the Whitter Alliance neighborhood organization and the Ward 10 City Council Office to help facilitate public participation. The goals of engagement will be to inform property owners of the work of updating the inventory of the Washburn-Fair Oaks Historic District and to solicit photographs, plans, and other evidence of property alterations over time.

Section 4: Analysis

How does the outcome for this ordinance, amendment, or policy help the city achieve Racial Equity?

The acceptance of this CLG supports the stewardship of buildings that make up the Washburn-Fair Oaks Historic District. The district includes buildings and structures across 214 different parcels. The buildings in this district are primarily residential with a few buildings dedicated to institutional uses. While the exterior of these buildings contributes to the identity and character of the district, these buildings continue to serve as homes for residents of Minneapolis, and places for community members to congregate and conduct business.

The historic district is located in the Whittier Neighborhood of Minneapolis, which has a median household income of $38,000 compared to $62,500 citywide. The residents of Whittier are made up of 81.2% renters, compared to households citywide which are 49.7% renters. The neighborhood represents a significant proportion of households that are renters, with modest incomes, and require property owners to continue to invest in and maintain these building to ensure tenants can have access to safe and healthy homes.

Historic designation does come with the added responsibility for property owners and requirements to make sure alterations coincide with any district design standards. The accurate inventory of contributing resources also facilitates the ability of property owners to access state and federal rehabilitation tax credits to support the stewardship of these buildings. The accuracy of this inventory will provide updated information of potential building alterations and streamline applications when property owners seek resources to maintain their buildings.

Section 5: Evaluation

How will impacts be measured? What are the success indicators and process benchmarks?

The goal of this work is to update the inventory of contributing and non-contributing resources to the Washburn-Fair Oaks Historic District with the most up to date information which documents alterations of buildings over time. This information will be used to support the stewardship and rehabilitation of buildings that are of historic and cultural significance to Minneapolis and serve as residential and institutional uses.

How will those who are impacted be informed of progress over time?

The final deliverable by the consultant will include an executive summary and property inventory forms for each principal building in the district. Survey results will be published on the City’s website.

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