2 weeks Ago By Beret Leone
Residents at the Vista Village in St. Paul are living in limbo after a $3.8 million federal check is put on pause.
"It's just really sad that they took that away from us," resident Lisa Bennett said. "Because we was counting on that." Bennett — and other residents — say they were counting on promises to help fix broken windows, boilers, major building systems, and safety and accessibility improvements, among others.
"We're not asking for no hardwood floors," Bennet said. "We don't want no stainless steel appliances. No recess lightings.
Just for that grant to come through so we can get our building together." The money was awarded stems from a $1.4 billion program within the Department of Housing and Urban Development, meant to make aging affordable housing across the country more energy efficient and climate resilient.
The CommonBond Communities — or Vista Village — project was the only Minnesota project awarded the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program grant, which was made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law last August. "Across the federal government, the Trump administration, Elon Musk and DOGE have cancelled thousands and thousands and thousands of projects and contracts that were fully authorized by Congress," Sen. Tina Smith (DFL) said.
After cost-cutting DOGE team terminated the program, it's now unclear if any improvements will happen. "The residents of Vista Village deserve better than this," Smith said. "And it is up to Trump administration to follow through on the commitments that have been made by the Federal government.
" It's why Smith and St. Paul city leaders are calling out the Trump administration Monday, asking the freeze to thaw. "We shouldn't have to be here today," St.
Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said. "We shouldn't have to see this type of disinvestment in housing from our nation's capital. But sadly, we are .
. . When the Federal government makes a commitment, they ought to keep it.
" Beret Leone is a native Minnesotan who joined the WCCO team as a reporter in September 2022 - and she's thrilled be back home in the Twin Cities! Beret grew up in Chaska and graduated from Bethel University..
