Heritage Park public housing: Warren calls for audit after conditions concerns

Minneapolis council member Pearll “Tinitha” Warren says she is pushing for a financial audit after touring vacant units at Heritage Park, a public housing development in north Minneapolis where residents and city leaders have raised concerns about unit conditions. Separately, the Minneapolis City Council approved $2.5 million in relocation funds to help move residents away from unsafe conditions while urgent repairs are addressed.

Warren’s tour and the audit push

In an MPR News interview released July 7, Warren described a walkthrough of several vacant apartments at Heritage Park. She said one unit had been vacant “upwards of three years.” Another had been vacated within the last 90 days and “squatted in.” A third had been vacated within the last 30 days.

Warren said all three units she viewed showed mold and damage that created “pretty concerning livable conditions.” She also said her audit request is aimed at getting transparent information about how public funds were used on the property.

Warren said she understands there are currently eight residents “facing eviction” at Heritage Park, “allegedly.” She also said that, to her understanding, about six or seven families are being worked on for relocation because of unit conditions.

Warren pointed to the 1002 building on the campus as the least damaged and said it should be rehabbed by the end of July, with units expected to become available for relocation.

What an audit request means in Minneapolis

Minneapolis has an Audit Committee defined by city law to keep the city’s audit function independent. The committee is made up of two council members, a Park Board commissioner, and four community members, and it adopts its own rules. The City Auditor reports to the Audit Committee.

In this case, Warren’s push is for a financial audit—separate from the City Council action approving emergency relocation funding—focused on accountability for how public money was used.

What the City Council approved for residents

FOX 9 reported that the City Council approved $2.5 million in emergency funds for Heritage Park residents. FOX 9 said the funds are intended to help relocate 686 residents from 212 households and pay for urgent repairs while residents are moved to safer accommodations.

FOX 9 also reported that the council approved a legislative directive requiring regular updates on the relocation process and spending. FOX 9 said the council also requested a legal memo to explore ways to recover some of the $2.5 million from the building’s receiver.

How the rehab funding ties in

Minneapolis city records in the Legislative Information Management System show the property’s receivership and rehabilitation planning. One related LIMS item describes a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant agreement for rehabilitation at Heritage Park, with Certus Financial LLC named as receiver in the filing.

The same LIMS record says Heritage Park is a 440-unit mixed income rental community developed in four phases. It also states that while buildings are owned by McCormack Baron Salazar, the land is owned by the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA), which also operates 200 public housing units within Heritage Park.

Sources

• MPR News (episode page + audio transcript) — Jul. 7, 2026
• FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul — City Council approves $2.5M emergency funds (reported Jul. 16, 2026)
• City of Minneapolis Audit Committee — official committee page
• Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) Board of Commissioners packet — May 2026 (PDF)
• Minneapolis LIMS — Grant agreement with Certus Financial LLC for rehabilitation at Heritage Park (RCA-2025-01373)