Economy
Why an Affluent Suburb Rallied Behind Affordable Housing
A church and an interfaith housing group got Edina, Minnesota, to back a new project for at-risk youth—although a few holdouts remain.
Of the Twin Cities' tony western suburbs, Edina is arguably the toniest. Home to professional athletes and Fortune 500 CEOs, the town has a reputation for snobbery; its name is said to be an acronym for, among other things, Every Day I Need Attention.
But not all Edinans satisfy the stereotype. The town's homeless population includes a number of young adults, teenagers and men and women in their early twenties, who left home to escape dysfunction, abuse, or substance-addicted guardians.