NRRC-Financial empowers the Northside with homeownership, employment, and clean energy

In the heart of North Minneapolis, the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council’s lending wing (NRRC-Financial, or NRRC-Fi) supports Near North and Willard-Hay neighborhood residents with financial pathways to homeownership. Homeownership is a significant pathway to community wealth-building, but it’s just one piece of a strong community.

Healthy homes and families, increasing property values, and well-paying and reliable employment are all important too — all of which clean energy has the potential to enable.

However, valuable clean energy opportunities like these have not been touching the ground in historically underserved neighborhoods like in the Northside as they have elsewhere. NRRC-Fi found that residents in North Minneapolis were either unaware of available energy-saving programs or uncertain about how to access them.

NRRC-Fi saw an opportunity to bridge this gap with support from a CERTs Seed Grant.  

NRRC-Fi spread the word on clean energy programming through community events, newsletters, and one-on-one outreach. One of the most impactful aspects of their work was directly assisting residents in navigating the complex application processes for home energy assessments, upgrades, and rebates, as well as income-based programs they may qualify for, like Energy Assistance and Weatherization Assistance.

Additionally, NRRC-Fi helped connect Northside residents with clean energy job training. The initiative highlighted the value of high-quality, well-paying clean energy jobs in supporting long-term economic security. One success story came from a Northside resident who completed a training program, secured a union job, and ultimately bought a home — a testament to how clean energy jobs can bolster economic mobility. “Our philosophy is whatever it takes to get someone into homeownership,” Burnet added. “For some people, that means connecting them with stable, high-paying jobs in the clean energy sector.”

NRRC-Fi promoted job training programs through partner organizations: The Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) and Xcel Energy. CEE’s Green Construction and Home Energy Career Training programs offered flexible, paid training that allows participants to keep their existing jobs while gaining new skills. Additionally, Xcel Energy launched a Lineworker Training Program, which included a new training facility in Northeast Minneapolis, prioritizing North Minneapolis residents for enrollment. Cristin explained,

“These jobs can be tough — you’re out in all kinds of weather, climbing poles, dealing with electricity, but that also comes with great pay, benefits, and long-term career growth. Some people stick with it for 15 years, and then retire early with financial security.”

By exposing Northside residents to the opportunities to become equipped and make the connections needed to enter the clean energy workforce, NRRC-Fi helped establish lasting economic opportunities in the community.

Looking ahead, NRRC-Fi hopes to expand its work through additional funding and volunteer support. NRRC-Fi aims to expand door-to-door community engagement, increase awareness of home energy upgrades, and secure funding to offer homeowners financial assistance with upfront improvements necessary before solar installations begin. “For low-income communities, these are life-changing programs,” Cristin emphasized. “If we can piece together the right resources, homeowners can make upgrades at little to no cost — and that’s huge.” By ensuring clean energy solutions are accessible for all, NRRC-Fi is helping build a cleaner and more affordable energy future for North Minneapolis residents.