U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and local officials on Thursday celebrated the successful completion of a $2 million project to convert a century old hotel into affordable housing units for veterans.
The Robin Hotel building at 4628 41st Ave N. in Robbinsdale, is now officially open and will soon house U.S. military veterans in 14 one-bedroom units. The conversion of the building started in earnest in 2023 after the city council approved the conversion of the hotel into housing for veterans in the Minneapolis first-ring suburb.
The project was developed by Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MCAV); a nonprofit whose mission is to end veteran homelessness in the state.
MCAV’s chief housing officer, Ms. Sara Riegle, in her remarks described how the birth of the project came about towards the tail end of the pandemic.
“Jon Lovald, our COO, invited me to participate in a phone call with Julia from Hennepin County, and Julia let us know, ‘hey, we have this building, this historic building that was built in 1901. It’s coming available in downtown Robbinsdale, we want to maintain this as affordable housing, but we don’t want to manage it. Would you (MACV) be interested in managing this historic building?’” said Riegle. “And we said, well, gosh, sure, we’re just starting to build up our portfolio of landlords. We’re interested in participating in that.”
Hennepin County then contributed $1.25 million, using funds from its almost $246 million share of the American Rescue Plan Act – commonly known as COVID funds – that President Biden signed into law in 2021.
Rep. Omar, whose district includes Robbinsdale, was able to secure an additional $750,000 in federal funding for the project.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning, Omar said the project’s completion has been entered into the Congressional Record which read in part “The Robin offers flexible housing options ranging from transitional stays to long-term accommodation. This project is committed to providing equitable access to transportation, and is located along metro transit lines to ensure easy and reliable access to community services.”
Omar commended MVAC for their “unwavering commitment” to end veteran homelessness in Minnesota, adding that the Robin project is one example of their work in changing lives.
According to the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, there were 652 veterans in the state’s Homeless Veteran Registry in 2024, with 94 of them experiencing “recurring homelessness.” Of the 652, 59% were white, with Blacks a distant second at 27%.
As of February 2024, more than 40,000 foreign nationals were serving in active and reserve components of the Armed Forces, according to the Department of Defense. Additionally, 115,000 foreign nationals residing in the United States are veterans who have previously served on active duty.
158,000 immigrants have gained U.S. citizenship through serving in one of the branches of the U.S. military in the last 20 years, according to an estimate from The Immigrant Learning Center, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that provides educational opportunities and resources to immigrants.
There are more than 530,000 immigrant veterans in the Unites States currently, 83% of whom are naturalized citizens, according to The Immigrant learning Center.
President Obama in 2014 awarded posthumous Medals of Honor to two foreign-born veterans, World War II veteran Pedro Cano and Vietnam War veteran Jesus Duran, who never received them while alive due to their ethnicities and prevailing attitudes towards soldiers of color in that era.
Robbinsdale Mayor Brad Sutton called the new housing “a shining example of what can happen when government and nonprofits work hard, and hand-in-hand, for the greater good.”
“Let us remember, every veteran who finds a home here is a reminder of our shared responsibility. Our gratitude for their service must be matched by our commitment to their well-being,” said Sutton.
Hennepin County Commissioner, Jeffrey Lunde, who represents Robbinsdale at the county board, congratulated MACV for their work in ending veteran homelessness.
“I think when we ask our people to go serve our country, and they come back with some baggage, it is our responsibility to treat them as well as when they were treating us by risking their lives on our behalf,” said Lunde. “So, again, I give credit to MACV for their work, and we look forward to continued partnership.”
After officials cut the ribbon for the official opening of the building, Rep. Omar told Mshale as she walked to her waiting car that veteran housing will continue to be a top priority for her.
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About Tom Gitaa Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the boards of New Vision Foundation and the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
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