The City of Minneapolis has recently launched a new program for renters who are being displaced from their homes because of negligent landlords. Run by the Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) department, the Emergency Stabilization Pilot Program (ESPP) will provide affordable housing to 10 family tenants over the next five years. “This program … [Read more...]
Fair Housing’s unfinished 50-year journey
Although golden anniversaries are often considered milestone moments accompanied by festive celebrations, two such observances in April 2018 are bittersweet memories for much of Black America. One took the life of an unparalleled preacher, orator, author, activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The other marks the enactment of what many would argue is the strongest of the … [Read more...]
Some see big battles looming ahead for Mayor Frey
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s first 100 days in office have had him “working like a dog,” he told the MSR. Frey spoke to us last week prior to his April 23 one-hour appearance at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, where he reflected on his first three months in office. “We have in place a bunch of measures that will see action in the next … [Read more...]
Several options to reverse housing needs
When North Minneapolis was separated and isolated by highways it was a big deal, and similarly, we need big ideas and plans to reverse that tragedy in order to address the housing needs of the current and future residents. Below, I have listed some ideas that I thought about as long- and short-term solutions. They do not necessarily need to be taken at face value, but I hope … [Read more...]
How committed is new mayor to Minneapolis affordable housing?
Good to see the MN Spokesman-Recorder keeping the homeless crisis on the front page with Charles Hallman's article, "Advocates use Super Bowl to highlight housing crisis," (February 1-7). But the approach talked about in the article is shortsighted. For organizations to pay peoples’ rent without holding landlords accountable is a form of codependence. Currently, landlords … [Read more...]
The ever-present threat of gentrification and persistent lack of affordable housing
On a handful of occasions I have used this column to discuss the issue of affordable housing, as well as its troubling relationship to the trend of gentrification. In one such article, I used the city of Portland, Oregon as something of a case study. I suggested that Portland’s fate raises a number of concerns relative to the Twin Cities and its low-income communities, … [Read more...]