Preventing displacement, helping communities thrive along the Blue Line Extension

The following article was originally published on the Hennepin County disparity reduction website. The full article is available here.

This is the first transit project recognized by the Federal Transit Administration that embeds anti-displacement work.

The Blue Line Extension project has the potential to connect people and bring significant investments and development opportunities to communities along the line. This line will serve areas of Hennepin County that have experienced historic disinvestment, and continue to live with the impacts of redlining, racist property covenants, and other effects of systemic racism.

The investments that come with a project of this size also brings concerns of displacement for vulnerable populations. The county has a responsibility to ensure these patterns are not exacerbated by this project. In response, project partners are working with community to create a plan for the light rail line that implements strategies and policies that prevent displacement and support people in the corridor today.