• July Investors Council Recap: Legislative recap, COVID19, and race equity

    MHP’s Investor’s Council Breakfast returned on July 8 for a virtual meeting. This was the first meeting since February, and the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted health, housing, and the economy, and the murder of George Floyd has galvanized the largest civil rights movement in US history.

    “Since we last met, our world, our country, our communities – everything has been turned upside down and inside out,” MHP Executive Director Anne Mavity said. “Even before any of this happened, together we understood that access to affordable housing, was something so fundamental to support the health and success of families, of school children, of our elders and senior citizens, for workers, and for strong communities.”

    Mavity noted the challenges ahead: Housing is an economic stimulus that creates jobs that our state needs, and creates shelter so people can stay healthy (“you can’t stay safe at home if you have no home”) and disparities are a key part of the affordable housing crisis.  

    “We know more clearly today, than ever before, that we cannot successfully solve our affordable housing crisis, without also understanding, addressing and untangling the policies and programs that have resulted in poorer outcomes in housing for Black, indigenous, and People of Color.  We can do better. We must do better.”

    Commissioner Jennifer Ho echoed that in remarks to more than 100 attendees participating via Zoom. 

    “Many things are different, but some things are the same; We had a housing shortage before the pandemic, we have one today.”

    “At Minnesota Housing we are doing kind of a shift in our thinking from racial equity to housing justice,” said Ho. “We’re thinking a lot about who’s most impacted by COVID, particularly who is on the brink of losing their home.”

    Ho said MHFA is focused on getting housing bonds passed through a legislative session that has been like no other with social distancing and continuous special sessions complicating the picture. 

    “Our main focus is going to continue to be the housing bonds — both HIB and public housing preservation bonds. Unless there is state action, a lot of developments will not have the financing they need to move forward. Please continue to make the case as loudly as possible, as creatively as you can,” Ho told the attendees.  

    Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who received MHP’s Legislative Leader Award, also addressed attendees.

    “I’d like to thank the advocates, in particular, MHP and all of your partners, who have continued to keep the pressure on to ensure leaders on all sides know what a priority is housing is. Even in a pandemic, you are making your voices heard. Please keep the pressure on as the legislature convenes on Monday.”

    She noted that the housing crisis is worsening and noted the historic number of people at an encampment in Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis. 

    “This moment is showing the cost of decades of underfunding and neglect. We need more affordable housing. Housing is a foundation. It is incredibly important to every aspect of people’s lives.”

    She added that pressure needs to continue on lawmakers to pass $260 million in Housing Infrastructure Bonds.

    “I have received more calls and emails about housing in the last two weeks than ever before.  So many people are just waking up to the challenges that folks are facing. And while it is heartbreaking for a lot of people to wake up to that reality, it also means it is great news because our team of advocates and folks who share our passion is growing.”

    Five elected officials were announced to have won MHP’s Legislative Leader Award. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Sen. Jeff Hayden, and Reps. Mike Howard, Aisha Gomez, and Dean Urdahl. 

    A panel discussion with D’Angelos Svenkeson, of NEOO Partners, Inc.; Shoua Lee, Vice President of Community Development at Wells Fargo; and Sarah Berke, Program Officer at Family Housing Fund, delved into topics being tackled by MHP’s Public Policy Advisory Group, which has developed criteria for housing finance policy evaluation. The criteria include: race equity, getting greatest impact from limited public dollars, securing predictable and dependable funding, and enhancing wealth and ownership options. 

    Watch the full PPAG discussion here:

    To be part of these dynamic conversations, become a contributor or renew your contribution in the MHP Investors Council today!

    RobynLingen

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  • Congress must Ensure Housing Stability During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

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    RobynLingen

  • Rental assistance is required for Minnesotans to face COVID-19

    Failure to include rental assistance will have dire consequences for low-income Minnesotans

    The lack of rental assistance in the Minnesota Legislature’s COVID-19 relief bill will have immediate negative consequences for Minnesota’s lowest income households. Advocates pressed for $100 million for rental assistance through the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program. The amount allocated by legislators? $0.

    Tens of thousands of Minnesotans have housing needs right now that relief from the federal government will not cover. Though Minnesota’s eviction moratorium means renters won’t lose their homes right now; rent will continue to come due. Yet most have lost their jobs and do not have an ability to pay those rents. Without rental assistance, a cascade of evictions is likely when renters are hit with months of back rent. 

    Affordable housing providers — such as nonprofits and mom-and-pop landlords — will not have rental income to keep their housing maintained, pay their debts and funding obligations, and will be at risk of foreclosure or selling to low bidders. An analysis by Greater Minnesota Housing Fund and HousingLink found that these affordable housing providers would have to absorb between $86 million and $173 million in lost rent this year. Nearly 40,000 units of low-income housing could be lost, and an estimated 85,000 people displaced. 

    “These are the scenarios we are facing if Minnesota lawmakers don’t pass rental assistance,” said Anne Mavity, Executive Director of Minnesota Housing Partnership. “We failed to support low income families during the last economic crisis, and we lost massive amounts of affordable housing, and many Minnesotans lost their homes. We have a chance to prevent that this time around.”

    Leaders from across the state and throughout the affordable housing sector urged lawmakers to do something for renters.

    “We need to guarantee that our communities will not be displaced and subsequently destabilized because of non-payment of rent,” said Nelima Sitate Munene, Executive Director of African Career Education and Resource, Inc. “Most renters in the Twin Cities were already housing cost burdened and housing insecure before this pandemic. They are also the ones who have been most impacted by reduced hours and are the ones who provide the necessary services we will be depending on for our lives to recover to normal. Rental assistance today is an investment in the Minnesotan economy!”

    “Families must still keep up with rent and mortgages, or risk homelessness,” said Warren Hanson, President and CEO of Greater Minnesota Housing Fund. “The emergency homeless prevention rent assistance is essential to keeping us all safe.” 

    “As a provider who administers housing assistance to households in crisis in Southeast Minnesota, it is devastating to know that there may not be additional assistance available through FHPAP,” said Jenny Larson, Executive Director of Three Rivers Community Action. “Families are losing income and calling us for help. We need resources to help our neighbors who are struggling, so we can keep people in safe and stable housing.”

    “Rental assistance is crucial in this time of crisis where many low-income and immigrant community members are not even able to provide food for their families,” said Asad Aliweyd, Executive director of the New American Development Center. “I am hearing that people who have been working low-wage and temporary jobs are staying home, unable to pay for rent and food. It is time to act quickly on rental assistance.”

    “Without rental assistance, we know people will lose their housing,” Paul Williams, President and CEO of Project for Pride in Living (PPL). “PPL manages over 1,500 units of affordable housing across the Twin Cities, and we anticipate 60% of our renters will see their wages impacted by COVID-19 job losses or changes. Many of these individuals are working in critical service sector jobs, like hospitality, trades, and financial services. Losing stable housing in this crisis will only compound what is already an uphill climb. Our community will reach a breaking point if we don’t act.”

     

    “Affordable housing residents are more likely to lose jobs and income under current conditions,”  Deidre Schmidt, President & CEO of CommonBond Communities. “Failure of some residents to pay rent (for these very good reasons), can threaten the quality and stability of housing of their neighbors.  Their rent revenues pay for water and sewer, heat and electric taxes and mortgage payments.”

    RobynLingen

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  • Tell lawmakers to support rental assistance for COVID-19 displaced workers

     

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    RobynLingen

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  • Action Alert: Tell lawmakers to support rental assistance for workers affected by COVID-19

     

    RobynLingen

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  • Minnesota must immediately provide rental assistance to workers displaced by COVID-19

    On Monday, Governor Tim Walz announced Executive Order 20-14 suspending evictions. Eviction moratoriums are a great first step to preventing homelessness, but much more is needed. State leaders must provide rental assistance of at least $100 million through the Family Homeless Prevention Assistance Program (FHPAP) or another rental assistance program. 

    According to data analysis by Minnesota Housing Partnership, many of the workers who are out of work due to COVID-19 shutdowns will experience dire financial outcomes. Workers with unemployment insurance will receive half their typical earnings. For food service, that means an income of $1,032 a month against an average Minnesota rent of $969. On average, food service workers are left with $63 after paying rent. These workers won’t be able to pay for food, medicine, and other household needs. 

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    For specific food service jobs such as bartenders, waiters, and food counter workers, unemployment insurance will not be enough to even cover the rent. This affects an estimated 81,620 Minnesotans. 

    Members of the media can download a full analysis of the housing impacts of these most affected workers here. 

    Rental assistance is critical for supporting low-wage workers unable to pay rent, and ensuring stability in the rental market. 

    That same rental assistance would provide critical operating income to affordable housing providers, and helps sustain the housing system.  Most housing providers have only a few months operating reserve, and even that has restrictions on spend-down.They cannot maintain basic housing operations without some type of revenue stream.

    The rental income will help housing providers cover continued safe operations and additional costs of maintaining affordable housing including with enhanced cleaning and emergency repairs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “A lack of rental assistance will have ripple effects throughout Minnesota,” said Anne Mavity, executive director of Minnesota Housing Partnership. “Even with an eviction moratorium, past-due rent will build for people out of work which just shifts this problem to a month or two from now. We need housing supports and we need them right now.”

    “We’re calling on the Legislature and Governor Walz to immediately pass and sign into law $100 million in rental assistance.”

    RobynLingen

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  • MHP’s Response to COVID19

    MHP offices are physically closed effective Monday, March 16th through March 31st, to be extended if needed, following the advice of national, state, and local public health authorities in response to the COVID19 pandemic. MHP is working to reduce the burden on health care systems, along with our stakeholders and partners. We urge everyone to engage in social distancing and other preventative health behaviors as well. 

    MHP business functions are fully operational for this period. Our meetings will switch to email, phone, and video conferencing. Technical assistance for rural and tribal communities will continue and we will continue to advocate for affordable housing both locally and nationally, as the economic downturn makes affordable housing that much more essential. 

    Our work has never been more important. Housing is health care. We will continue to work toward our mission that everyone has safe, decent, affordable housing. Please continue to reach out to us on how we can help support you and your communities during this time.

    To keep up-to-date on how COVID19 is affecting affordable housing and what you can do to help advocate, sign up for our e-newsletters and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

    RobynLingen

  • Leaders urge housing support for low-wage workers affected by COVID19

    Leaders of Minnesota’s affordable housing organizations sent a letter to Gov. Tim Walz on Sunday asking Minnesota officials to act quickly to support low-wage workers at risk for homelessness as COVID 19 shuts down much of Minnesota’s economy. 

    “To responsibly support Minnesotans at this time of crisis, the State must dedicate $100 million in emergency COVID-19 funds for housing supports through the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP),” the letter states. “$100 million will provide one month of FHPAP, at an estimated rate of $400 per month per household, for 250,000 families.”

    “It’s impossible to stay home when you are sick if you have no home,” said Anne Mavity, executive director of Minnesota Housing Partnership, a signer of the letter to Gov. Walz. “Ensuring stable housing through this crisis is vital to public health.”

    The letter also notes that Minnesota’s elected leaders and housing organizations must prepare now to avoid a repeat of what happened during the foreclosure crisis of the late 2000s, which left the state with a lasting shortage of affordable housing and exacerbated racial disparities in housing. 

    Signatories to the letter were: 

    Anne Mavity, Executive Director, Minnesota Housing Partnership 
    Jenny Larson, Executive Director, Three Rivers Community Action 
    Deidre Schmidt, President and CEO, CommonBond Communities 
    Alan Arthur, President and CEO, Aeon 
    Paul Williams, President and CEO, Project for Pride in Living 
    Lee Blons, President, Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative 
    Chris Coleman, President and CEO, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
    Warren Hanson, President and CEO, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund 
    Ellen Sahli, President and CEO, Family Housing Fund 
    Buffy Beranek, Southeast MN Multi-county HRA 
    Cristin Incitti, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Minnesota 
    Barb Jeanetta, Executive Director, Alliance Housing
    Jim Roth, Executive Director, Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers

    Read the full letter here.

    Endorse the letter here: 

    RobynLingen