Housing Advocacy
The Housing Advocacy Committee (HAC) addresses affordable housing and homelessness issues. Architects and other designers can be key players in this social problem and by joining this committee, you can help improve housing conditions in Minnesota. You can also assist in planning and participate in our annual Design Charrette which benefits local housing agencies, along with other activities. We are always looking for volunteers to participate on the committee, contact the AIA Minnesota office to get involved.
Chair: Andrew Centanni, AIA, acentanni@popearch.com; Rebecca Celis, AIA, rcelis@hga.com
AIA Staff Liaison: Alysia Ulfers ulfers@aia-mn.org
Meeting Date: First Wednesday of the month at noon in the AIA Minnesota office
2009 Search for Shelter Design Charrette
The 2009 Search for Shelter Charrette, sponsored by AIA Minnesota's Housing Advocacy Committee, will be held January 23-25 at Rapson Hall at the University of Minnesota. This annual Design Charrette focuses on non-profit organizations that address issues of affordable housing and homelessness in our community. Many of the organizations use the designs from the Charrette to help kickstart their funding drives and gain support from neighborhood groups. This is a great opportunity for architects and designers to use their talents to help benefit those who are especially struggling this year due to the housing market crash.
We will kick off the weekend with opening presentations and a light dinner on Friday night. Saturday will be a working day and meals will be provided. We will wrap up the weekend on Sunday with final presentations to the clients beginning promptly at noon. We need your help! Professionals, interns, and students from all design disciplines are encouraged to participate. This is a great way for IDP participants to earn Community Service hours, and professional architects can earn 9 CE hours. If you would like to sign up as a volunteer for the Charrette, please contact Alysia Ulfers at AIA Minnesota. If you cannot participate but your firm is willing to donate supplies for the Charrette, contact committee co-chair Rebecca Celis.
We are also currently in the process of selecting projects for the Charrette. If you have a great idea for a project or know of an organization that would benefit from the Charrette, please contact Rosemary Dolata. We aim to have 5-6 great projects from local non-profit organizations and community groups each year.
Volunteer for the SFS Charrette (pdf)
See the charrette information (pdf)
2008 Search for Shelter Design Charrette
February 15-17, 2008
The Housing Advocacy Committee hosted the 21st annual Search for Shelter Charrette from February 15th to 17th. The event took place in Rapson Hall at the University of Minnesota. Friday’s opening reception included dinner, sponsored by the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, speaker Katie Swenson, the Director of Enterprise’s Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship program, and a chance for agencies to introduce themselves to all the volunteered participants. This year, we welcomed many returned participants from previous charrettes, but we were fortunate to have 6 new participants, faculty and students, from the other U of M, University of Manitoba. On Saturday, the teams visited their project sites and came back to the University of Minnesota for an intense day of design. On Sunday, scrambling to finish their projects before the ‘digital’ cart came to collect, the teams presented their findings and final designs to the agencies. Six local housing agencies and neighborhood groups, 40 volunteers, and 24 hours later, we concluded with over 30 presentation boards, numerous ideas, and one of the most successful charrettes ever.
Read the 2008 Search for Shelter Press Release (pdf)
Housing Advocacy Committee Tours
In November 2008, members of the Housing Advocacy Committee toured Aeon's affordable housing properties, including the Crane Ordway (pictured at left)