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47 | Page <br />City of Little Canada Housing Study - 2025 <br />Key Findings <br />1. Little Canada is exceptionally diverse for a small community of fewer than 11,000 <br />residents. Approximately 40% of residents identify as Hispanic or non-white, a <br />proportion higher than most reference communities. The city also has age diversity, with <br />about 30% of residents over 60 and 25% under 18, representing populations at opposite <br />stages of life with distinct housing needs. <br /> <br />2. Little Canada has a lower median income and higher poverty rate than most of the <br />reference communities and Twin Cities Metro. Little Canada also has a lower level of <br />educational attainment, especially when compared to the more affluent neighboring <br />communities of Arden Hills and Shoreview – likely setting itself up to continue to have <br />lower incomes and a higher poverty rate in the future. <br /> <br />3. Multifamily housing is the dominant housing type in Little Canada. Nearly 50% of <br />all housing units are in multifamily structures, a significantly higher share than in <br />reference communities. However, multifamily housing is only permitted on less than 8% <br />of the city’s buildable land, limiting future development opportunities for higher-density <br />housing. Additionally, Little Canada’s multifamily housing stock is notably older than in <br />reference communities, with an average construction year of 1974, which may present <br />challenges related to housing quality and long-term viability. <br /> <br />4. Little Canada has a significant supply of affordable housing. The city has the highest <br />share of deeply affordable housing (30% AMI) among reference communities and a <br />substantial number of naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) units. Additionally, <br />nearly 50% of the city’s housing stock is affordable for households earning 60% AMI or <br />less, a rate exceeded only by North St. Paul. However, affordability challenges persist, as <br />40% of residents are cost-burdened, the highest rate among reference communities. <br /> <br />5. Single-family lots in Little Canada are unusually large. The median lot size and <br />frontage exceed the city’s zoning minimums and are larger than those in most reference <br />communities, including several more affluent suburbs. Relatively minor zoning standard <br />adjustments could allow for more efficient land use and the creation of additional low- <br />density housing through lot splits or smaller-scale infill development. <br /> <br />6. Interstate 35E divides the community both geographically and demographically. <br />The west side has an older population, lower incomes, higher vacancy rates, and higher <br />cost-burden rates, while the east side has higher incomes, lower cost burdens, and more <br />single-family housing. The area around Rice Street and Little Canada Road stands out as <br />particularly disadvantaged, with the city’s oldest population, lowest median income, <br />highest vacancy rate, and highest cost-burdened rate.