ST. PAUL — Volunteers in hardhats, including Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis and students from St. Catherine University, helped raise the wall of the first duplex July 8 in St. Paul tied to the national Pope Leo Village initiative.
Local build fits into larger affordable housing push
The work at The Heights, a mixed developer site in St. Paul, is being managed by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, which has joined 19 other Habitat affiliates nationally in the Pope Leo Village campaign. The local affiliate is planning to construct two duplexes and one single-family home as part of the initial phase of that partnership.
The campaign was prompted by an anonymous donor who approached Habitat for Humanity in 2025, inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on service and social justice, Habitat officials said. Twin Cities Habitat has a long history of building in the area: the affiliate has constructed 74 homes at The Heights and intends to build 74 more.
- 20 homes at The Heights are already occupied.
- Local partners include Cretin-Derham Hall, Tres Iglesias (an association of three neighborhood churches) and St. Catherine University.
- National Pope Leo Village sites include major cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Philadelphia and Portland.
"Today, we're going to begin building some additional houses here at The Heights, but we'll also be building a sense of belonging as Twin Cities Habitat joins the national Pope Leo Village campaign," said Chris Coleman, president and CEO of the Twin Cities affiliate.
Why this matters for St. Paul
Housing affordability and supply are central policy issues for Ramsey County and the state. Adding duplexes and single-family units at a development like The Heights contributes to the patchwork of solutions county planners favor: mixed-use developments that combine housing with light industrial or commercial space. The involvement of local schools, churches and a high-profile faith leader underscores the mix of civic, faith-based and nonprofit collaboration driving housing projects in the region.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Homes built at The Heights | 74 |
| Homes planned at The Heights | 74 more |
| Homes occupied | 20 |
| Habitat affiliates in Pope Leo Villages nationwide | 20 |
The Twin Cities affiliate’s participation in Pope Leo Villages ties St. Paul to a broader national movement that leaders say aims not only to add units but to foster community ties and service-based partnerships. For local officials and residents, the immediate outcome will be additional affordable units; the longer term effect will depend on whether similar collaborations and funding sources continue to scale projects across the city and county.
Construction at The Heights will proceed with volunteers, partner organizations and Habitat staff coordinating future build days and homeowner-selection steps, Twin Cities Habitat officials said.
