Restoring Waters

Ryan Companies selected Project for Pride in Living (PPL) as one of two affordable housing nonprofit partners to develop 20% of the residential units at Highland Bridge, ensuring these homes remain affordable for individuals and families with lower incomes. As a BIPOC-led nonprofit developer, equitable development is at the heart of PPL’s mission. The organization has rights to develop affordable housing across five parcels within the Highland Bridge Development.
Development of one of these parcels has already been completed and is now home to two PPL properties, including Restoring Waters. Restoring Waters is a supportive housing collaboration between PPL and supportive services organization, Emma Norton Services. Emma Norton relocated its administrative offices to the site and provides 24-hour support to residents. The building is home to 60 units of supportive housing. Within Restoring Waters is a first-of-its-kind “living room,” a safe, welcoming space where anyone in Minnesota experiencing a mental health crisis can receive immediate help, regardless of whether they live at the property.

However, the economics of affordable housing have shifted dramatically. Rising costs and changing market conditions have created a significant financing gap for these properties. Since 2023, property insurance for the Restoring Waters site has increased by over 200%, while security and operational costs continue to climb. At the same time, incomes have remained stagnant, making it difficult to raise rents or collect them consistently. These pressures have made stabilizing affordable and deeply supportive homes more challenging and more expensive than ever before.
This project aims to close this critical financing gap at Restoring Waters, ensuring these homes remain affordable while reducing organizational risk and sustaining the future and long-term impact of PPL’s equitable development work.