St. Paul Offers a Rondo Inheritance Fund

The City of St. Paul has created the Inheritance Fund—a program to help rebuild the wealth of Rondo families who were displaced by the construction of Interstate 94 in 1956.

According to the fund’s website, when the interstate construction began, 600 families were displaced and $100 million in wealth was “laid to waste” in Rondo, which had been a thriving African-American community up until that point.

The website outlines that St. Paul’s Mayor @mayorcarter_’s vision includes “rebuilding family wealth that was lost during the highway construction and returning to the sons and daughters of Old Rondo their inheritance of homeownership.”

The fund offers monetary awards to eligible “direct descendants” of Old Rondo in the form of up to $100,000 for downpayment assistance and up to $55,000 in housing repair assistance. These funds can be used for homes anywhere in St. Paul. However, additional funds may be awarded for individuals hoping to buy or rehab homes in Rondo proper.

If you are a “direct descendant” of Old Rondo and hope to apply for funding, fill out the application now as it is only available while funding lasts and applications will be reviewed in the order they are received.

Link to the application:

https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/planning-and-economic-development/housing/inheritance-fund