We welcome you to join one of our monthly Advocacy Update meetings (held via zoom). To see the next meeting date and register, visit ppna.org/calendar
Housing Justice:
We’re working to understand and communicate what shelter options are needed to house hundreds of unsheltered residents across the community before the coming winter. There is some discussion at the County and State level around extending the hotel program, which has been part of the COVID-19 emergency response
Minnesota has an eviction moratorium, but it doesn’t cover all evictions. Our advocacy partners are working with City and County elected officials to prevent more evictions in our community. To learn more about how you can help prevent you or your neighbors from being evicted, consider joining an event hosted by The Alliance tomorrow (9/18)
The application for the Renter’s Support Fund opens on September 25th. Apply and/or share with someone who could use support this Fall here. This application round will close on September 29th.
Safety & Livability:
The South Minneapolis Public Safety Coalition has used our years of experience to come up with a $10 million proposal of initiatives we believe would support safety and livability in South Minneapolis right now, even while community leaders and elected leaders are still building and envisioning new or different systems. Read the framework here.
A town hall series titled “Future of Safety” will explore concepts related to public safety and policing in Minneapolis. We’ll bring in experts to help inform community members about terms like “abolish”, “defund”, and “reform”. Learn about the avenues to support and resource an appropriate crisis response, and hopefully hear from some elected and appointed leaders about their vision for safety. See the schedule at ppna.org/calendar
We’re still meeting with block clubs! If your block group has feedback and ideas you want to share with us about your vision for public safety, email Grace at grace@ppna.org to set up a focus group meeting.
Volunteer canvassers are assisting PPNA with door-to-door surveying on safety, livability, and equitable development through October. You can also take the survey online here.
Equitable Development:
We are partnering with a variety of stakeholders to support immediate needs arising from the civil uprising. This includes promoting current resources, helping advocate for additional resources, and beginning discussions on how to center ongoing recovery efforts that help advance various forms of racial and socioeconomic equity. PPNA is helping to stir how the group can collaboratively share this work broadly and create ways for the community to influence these efforts with their input.
PPNA is helping guide a group of volunteers working to collect survey responses that include understanding development priorities and how community members would like to support equitable development going forward.
The Lake Street Council has granted $5.5 Million to over 300 small businesses to support their rebuilding and reopening efforts. Read more and hear their stories here.