2025 In Review
As we make our way toward 2026 it’s natural to spend some time reflecting on the year that’s ending and celebrating the accomplishments of the past 12 months. 2025 was a big one for Alliance in every aspect of our work so let’s look back before turning the calendar over.
Of course, the biggest accomplishment of 2025 was opening Kyle Garden Square in October. This development was many years in the making and we are thrilled that all 59 units will be filled within the next few weeks. Most of the new building’s residents are moving directly from homelessness, with some having been without housing for the last 5-10 years. The addition of Kyle Garden Square brings our large apartment building total to 5 containing 293 homes for Minneapolis neighbors.
In our other buildings, we received the first recapitalization funding for a planned rehab of Hiawatha Commons, continued to work to ensure buildings like 3301 Nicollet, Minnehaha Commons, and Gateway Lofts are safe and well maintained, and reached approximately the 90% funding mark for our next development at 2116 Nicollet!
Our smaller scattered site buildings saw significant work from the Alliance property management/maintenance team and the development of a plan for their future. As we’ve discussed throughout the year, the costs associated with owning 22 century-old wood frame buildings are becoming prohibitive. Accordingly, we’re nearing the finalization of a plan to keep these buildings affordable while also transferring ownership to first time homebuyers from the community currently living in deeply affordable housing. Stay tuned in in the coming months for a virtual town hall to learn more!
On the policy side of our work, both our Executive Director Jessie Hendel and resident (and now Board Member!) Tyrone testified before the legislature, we participated in the Start with Home rally at the Capitol in January, and we sat on several advisory committees.
From an organizational perspective, we added 5 new members to our Board of Directors, fully staffed our property management team early in 2025, provided paid summer internships to 2 college students interested in nonprofit and housing work, and perhaps most amazingly, had staff turnover this year of 0%! Stability of this kind is rare in any organization and allows us to really grow as a team to push forward our mission.
All this work is possible because we made our fundraising goals for Fiscal Year 2025, which ended on June 30 and are off to a great start for FY26. This start is due in no small part to the great MPLS Homes 2025 breakfast event in September. If you didn’t make it this year, we hope to see you in 2026!
A few other accomplishments that aren’t visible to most supporters, but go a long way toward strengthening the organization: A new donor database; new budgeting processes to keep an even closer eye on our assets; cleaning boxes of old corporate and financial records out of a garage and shredding so, so many that were no longer needed; and very soon a new website!
Phew. What a 2025 it has been. Here’s to another year of providing compassionate homes for Minneapolis neighbors in 2026!
Let’s Build Long-Term Stability, One Home at a Time
All who engage in strengthening Alliance are equally valued, whether donor, volunteer, public advocate, board member, resident, or staff, your involvement directly supports safe, dignified housing for those facing the greatest barriers.