Newsletters

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The Link 2021

The Link: Not All Housing Units Are Created Equal  

9/8/21

This edition of the Link includes a new report on the impact of upzoning in communities of color; an assessment of environmental justice policy in U.S. Climate Alliance states (including MN); a study on the impact of bike lanes on displacement; articles on the slow distribution of rental assistance in Minnesota, the case for rent stabilization in St. Paul and radically reinventing leadership; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: What’s Different When Community Collects the Data? 

8/25/21

This edition of the Link includes the recap from our Actualizing Equity event on livability and community development; new reports on the impact of climate change on Minnesota’s workforce; articles on St. Paul eliminating parking minimums, Minneapolis city council revising its plan for a polluted public works site and “New climate legislation finally gives back to Native communities;” events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Did Last Summer’s Black Lives Matter Protests Change Anything?

8/11/21

This edition of the Link includes a recording of the latest community update from the Blue Line Coalition, analysis by the Star Tribune that finds 73% of residential land in the Twin Cities is governed by local zoning ordinances that only allow single-family homes; articles on “Minnesota’s economic recovery in 8 charts” and “Demand for food and housing aid jumped during COVID; ACER jumped in to provide help;” events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Community Ownership Takes Center Stage

7/28/21

This edition of the Link includes a new series from Shelterforce focused on community ownership of land and housing; a report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition on the gap between wages and rent in every state, county and metro area; a recording of our July Actualizing Equity event on the Equitable Development Principles & Scorecard; articles on the progress of the Black Women’s Wealth Alliance, tenant opportunity to purchase in Minneapolis, the implications of a new Clean Cars law in Minnesota, and “A New Story of Safety” in the Jewish community; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: How Ignoring Public Transit Sets Students Up To Fail

7/14/21

This edition of the Link includes a recap of our May Actualizing Equity event on Just Transition; a new report that quantifies the health impacts of clean energy by race and ethnicity; a dynamic map overlaying child care deserts with other demographic factors; articles on equity benchmarks at the US Department of Transportation, redevelopment of the Sears site in St. Paul and the missing ingredient for transformative change around fossil fuels in Minnesota; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: How Homeowners Of Color Are Threatened By Climate Change — And Climate Policy

6/30/21

This edition of the Link includes a new report and data dashboard that highlight the shifts in transit use in major metro areas; the “State of the Nation’s Housing 2021” from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies; an introduction to and strategies for “hybrid” online spaces from Training for Change; articles on “What’s in MN’s $7 billion transportation bill,” the eviction moratorium offramp and the Hennepin County Climate Action Plan; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Who Owns the Twin Cities?

6/16/21

This edition of the Link includes a new report from the Urban Institute that examines the racial gaps in homeownership and displacement, as well as the increasing prominence of corporate single-family rental property ownership in the Twin Cities; the video recording of our May Actualizing Equity event on just transition and climate justice; a new resource on “How to Talk About Native Nations;” articles on the impact of proposed light rail in the Harrison neighborhood, the campaign to put rent stabilization on the St. Paul ballot, the statewide eviction moratorium and re-development of business corridors in the Twin Cities; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Can Removing Highways Fix America’s Cities?

6/2/21

This edition of the Link includes a new video focused on rebuilding, restoring and reimagining cultural and BIPOC-owned business corridors in Minneapolis and St. Paul; a new report on “Creating Community Controlled, Deeply Affordable Housing;” an upcoming offering on “Practices of Visionary Organizing;” a commentary from the Business Resource Collective on the priorities necessary to support BIPOC-owned businesses before the end of the special legislative session; articles, events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Renters Reclaim the Record

5/19/21

This edition of the Link includes a list of 31 Anti-Racist To-Dos this Asian Heritage Month from Asian American Organizing Project; the new “Renters Reclaim the Record” initiative from member organization Housing Justice Center; a new poll from MN350 that shows the majority of Minnesotans support clean energy; a new report on “How Housing Acquisition Strategies Can Create Affordable Housing, Stabilize Neighborhoods, and Prevent Displacement;” articles, events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: How A St. Paul Site Fight Exemplifies White Supremacy In Planning

5/5/21

This edition of the Link includes responses to common narrative refrains that perpetuate white supremacy in planning; the recap from our March Actualizing Equity event focused on transit and transportation; a commentary from Equity in Place emphasizing that an “End to eviction ban must not lead to eviction boom”;” articles on “Economic pressures threaten waves of change on St. Paul’s West Side” and “The True Cost of Closing the Racial Wealth Gap;” events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Brooklyn Center renters suffer aggressive police tactics

4/22/21

This edition of the Link includes the Alliance’s statement on the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict; a Governor Walz Climate Action Report Card from a coalition of climate and environmental justice organizations; a co-created letter from more than 50 organizations (including the Alliance) calling for an immediate end to “Operation Safety Net;” articles on the impact of aggressive police tactics on Brooklyn Center renters, the road to removing police from traffic enforcement and updates on the St. Paul SAFE Housing ordinance and statewide eviction moratorium; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Trauma Informed Community Development Toolkit

4/7/21

This edition of the Link includes a new resource that provides trauma-informed tools and practices for community development engagement; a study from Housing Justice Center and Family Housing Fund on tenant screening and selection methods; analysis of “The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Minnesota”; articles on the launch of the rent stabilization campaign in St. Paul, transit bills at the state legislature related to fare evasion and the “need to talk about our toxic obsession with productivity”; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: How Unfair Property Taxes Keep Black Families From Gaining Wealth

3/24/21

This edition of the Link includes new self-care coloring sheets from our December Actualizing Equity event; a new resource from Equity in Place articulating policy recommendations for the end of the eviction moratorium; Minnesota Housing Partnership’s biennial “State of the State’s Housing” report; a statement from the Blue Line Coalition on the announcement of the proposed new routes; a commentary from The Alliance and partners “In support of an anti-displacement agenda;” reporting on how unfair property taxes keep black families from gaining wealth; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Moving from Affordable to Equitable Housing

3/10/21

This edition of the Link includes a new resource that identifies the key components of a housing model that goes beyond the cost of rent to include critical aspects of access, stability, community and systems change; data dashboards on the renter eviction crisis and MN COVID vaccinations by race; a commentary from Housing Equity Now St Paul on the SAFE Housing ordinance and the need for rent stabilization; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: “Can A Land Bridge Restore What A Black Community Lost?”

2/24/21

This edition of the Link includes a 2021 Policy Addendum from Equity in Place focused on statewide and COVID-related housing justice issues; the recap of our “Actualizing Equity in the 2021 State Legislative Session” event; a new series on “Decolonization and Radical Indigenous Futures;” articles on the Reconnect Rondo proposal for a land bridge over I-94, the power outages in Texas as preview for future grid failures under climate change, and the impact of $15 minimum wage on housing affordability; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: “Our AREA 2021” Updates And Evolves Alliance Regional Equity Agenda!

2/17/21

This edition of the Link highlights the release of Our AREA 2021, which updates and evolves the Alliance Regional Equity Agenda with input and insight from nearly 40 community leaders over the course of the 2020 Actualizing Equity event series. Read the Link >

The Link: Can an “Activist HUD” Make Housing a Human Right?

2/2/21

This edition of the Link includes a new Mapping Prejudice Action Guide that breaks down the relevance of racial covenants and their legacy today; a New Deal for Housing: A Playbook for the New Administration from Community Change that proposes a bold set of federal actions the new administration and Congress could take in the first 200 days; video recaps from the Smart Growth America Equity Summit; articles on the most diverse state legislature in Minnesota history, an update on the Upper Harbor Terminal project in Minneapolis and “Striking Racial Disparities In Who’s Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine;” events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Advancing Antiracism in Community Development

1/20/21

This edition of the Link includes a recap and video clips from our December Actualizing Equity event focused on “Sustaining Ourselves and Our Movements;” a new piece in Shelterforce from the Alliance’s Tram Hoang on “Advancing Antiracism in Community Development;” guidance on the use of the word terrorism in the context of white supremacist violence; articles on the rise of manufactured housing in the Twin Cities and possible delays for the Southwest LRT extension project; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Blue Line Extension Community Survey

1/06/21

This edition of the Link includes a new report from the Coalition of Asian American Leaders on “Redefining Wealth through Communal and Cultural Assets;” a new online data portal, The National Risk Index, that provides a holistic view of community-level risk by combining multiple hazards with socioeconomic and built environment factors; a community survey to guide the process of the Blue Line Extension project; articles, events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link 2020

The Link: Reconnection, Revitalization, and Restitution for I-94 Communities

12/16/20

This edition of the Link includes the recap of our October Actualizing Equity event on cultivating community safety; a new report on “Race and the Work of the Future: Advancing Workforce Equity in the US” from PolicyLink; a letter from Alliance member organizations emphasizing to state and federal highway leaders that “community, not vehicles, should be the highest priority” for the Rethinking I-94 Project; articles on Minneapolis’ “Mobility Hubs,” the existential threat to mass transit nationwide, and a new federally funded program at the UMN that will create and distribute COVID-19 messaging for immigrant and refugee communities; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Alliance Recognized as 2020 Changemaker

12/2/20

This edition of the Link includes a new report on “Driving Down Emissions in Minnesota” from Alliance member organization Move MN; a new podcast from the Asian American Organizing Project; updated data analysis on “The Color of COVID” from APM Research Lab; a feature on The Alliance as a 2020 Changemaker in the latest edition of the MN Women’s Press; articles on “The Case for Climate Reparations,” Black business support in Minneapolis, and lesson learned around Tenant Opportunity to Purchase policies; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: How WSCO is Building Power with the Equitable Development Scorecard

11/18/20

This edition of the Link includes a new case study delving into the West Side Community Organization’s community-based process to adapt the Equitable Development Principles and Scorecard for their neighborhoods; a new report that spotlights Minnesota in its analysis of “Muzzling Dissent: How Corporate Influence over Politics Has Fueled Anti-Protest Laws;” a video series from the Native Governance Center; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: From Elections to Mass Movements

11/4/20

This edition of the Link includes a new report on the underperforming impact of Opportunity Zones and the path to housing justice; resources on post-election messaging and democracy defense; articles on our mobilization against the flawed Fort Snelling “affordable” housing project and workforce diversity in the 35W reconstruction; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: “From Enforcement to #FundOurLives: Advancing Equity in Community Safety”

10/21/20

This edition of the Link includes a new brief on The Core Elements of Empowerment Economics, a multi-generational, culturally responsive approach to building wealth and power in low-income, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other communities of color.; a New Leader Q&A with Abdul Artan, a community organizer at New American Development Center; articles on historic funding in the state bonding bill for bus rapid transit, a proposal for a truth and reconciliation committee in Minneapolis and “The Tenants Who Evicted Their Landlord;” plus events and jobs! Read the Link >

The Link: “Hold the Line: A Guide to Defending Democracy”

10/7/20

This edition of the Link includes a new guide, Hold the Line, that offers steps that people all over the country can take to ensure the November 2020 election is successful and that the results are respected; the recap and recording from our Advancing Equity in Environmental and Climate Justice event; the new resource from Forward Together called We Keep Each Other Safe: A Guide By and For BIPOC and LGBTQ Communities Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic; articles on the Major Taylor Cycling Club, efforts from Alliance members organizations to mobilize their communities to engage in the election, three scenarios for the future of climate change, “How Wisconsin Became a Bastion of White Supremacy” and more; plus events and jobs! Read the Link >

The Link: “What’s Next For Those Staying In Hotels During The Pandemic?”

9/23/20

This edition of the Link includes a new paper from the UMN’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs on “Changing the Narrative and Playbook on Racially Concentrated Areas of Poverty;” dynamic maps from ProPublica that show how profoundly climate change is interrupting the way we live and farm in the US; a new report that finds Black, Hispanic, and Native American households spend a much larger portion of their income on energy bills than white households; articles on the future of Black politics, dismantling white supremacy culture in the workplace, a new mural on the West Side of St. Paul and more; plus events and jobs! Read the Link >

The Link: “Whatever the Route, Community Must Guide the Direction of Bottineau Blue Line Project”

9/9/20

This edition of the Link includes the Blue Line Coalition response and recommendations to policy leaders on how to move forward on the Bottineau Corridor light rail project; a report on the threats to Minnesota’s $60 billion African Latino Asian and Native American (ALANA) economy; Pause & Grow Care Packages designed by the SEAD Project, in collaboration with Southeast Asian diaspora communities, to provide information, resources and healing tools necessary to thrive in the pandemic; articles on “Pollution, Police, Pandemic: How the Fight for Black Lives Connects Anti-Incineration and Police Abolition” and “The Time is Now for Equitable Investments in Minnesota’s Energy Efficiency Programs;” events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Three Liberatory Principles for Freedom Fighters

8/12/20

This edition of the Link includes the recap of our June Actualizing Equity event on small business and economic development and the video of our July event on environmental and climate justice; new analysis from the National Low Income Housing Coalition and others that finds that “as many as 450,000 Minnesotans could be at risk of eviction by the end of 2020;” a national call and agenda for a “Cultural New Deal;” an op-ed from the Alliance on the imperative to “take proactive steps that prevent, not simply postpone, the loss of housing” during the pandemic; articles on “City Planners’ Case for Defunding the Police” and “Why We Must Talk About Race When We Talk About Bikes;” events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Rethinking Areas of Concentrated Poverty

7/29/20

This edition of the Link includes a new set of reflections, responses and resources from Metropolitan Council related to shifting from reliance on the harmful deficit-based narrative of “concentrated areas of poverty;” analysis from the Center for American Progress that finds that “74% percent of communities of color live in nature-deprived areas, compared with just 23% of white communities;” opportunities for small businesses to apply for emergency relief funds in response to COVID-19 and the recent uprisings; articles related to climate justice, the place of reparations in urban planning and the built environment, and racism as a public health issue; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Using the Outdoors to Fight for Racial Justice

7/15/20

This edition of the Link includes data on the predicted surge in evictions in Minnesota and nationwide; a five-point plan for national economic reconstruction and community transformation that is “not only financially resilient but also sustainable, just, and reparative” from the Democracy Collaborative; a new comic book collaboration from MPD150 on “Community Policing and Other Fairy Tales;” an interview with Alliance board member Anthony Taylor on his experiences and ideas to create equity in and through engagement with the outdoors; an article about the passage of the state’s strongest tenant protections ordinance in St. Paul; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: What Role Should Police Play in Traffic Safety?

7/1/20

This edition of the Link includes the recap from our May Actualizing Equity focused on housing; a letter from Equity in Place to Governor Walz calling for the retention and expansion of the statewide eviction moratorium; the recording of a session on “Re-imagining City Planning After the Protests;” articles on the progress of tenant protections in St. Paul and how Alliance member organization Our Streets Minneapolis is continuing to address the role of policing in traffic safety; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Rebuilding our Community

6/17/20

This edition of the Link includes a statement co-created by CTUL and several Alliance member organizations calling for “a rebuilding process where we devote resources toward building the skills of our community;” a one-pager explaining “Why Does St. Paul Need Just Cause Notice;” new resources like the “Policing, Protest and Racial Injustice Messaging Guide” and the “Cultural Strategy Activation Guide for Artists and Activists;” articles including “‘Always a Leader’: Friends, Family Remember Marny Xiong as a Trailblazer” and “There Is No Climate Justice Without Defunding the Police;” events, job openings and more. Read the Link >

The Link: Join us this Friday for “Advancing Housing Equity”

5/20/20

This edition of the Link includes the recap of our April Actualizing Equity event focused on public transit; reports from national partners on the need for rent cancellation and the impact of COVID-19 on micro-businesses; a webinar series on narrative change for housing justice; a podcast exploring “Why the Coronavirus is so Deadly for Black America;” a video and petition from Housing Equity Now St. Paul to support tenant protections; virtual events, job openings and more. Read the Link >

The Link: Confronting Power & Privilege for Equitable and Healthy Communities

5/6/20

This edition of the Link includes a new framework developed by women of color on “Confronting Power and Privilege for Inclusive, Equitable and Healthy Communities; the #MinneAsianStories campaign capturing the vibrancy, resilience, and complexity of AAPI people, and how they are making Minnesota home; a short podcast series co-created by local leader Susan Raffo on the evolution and harms of the medical industrial complex; a commentary in MinnPost co-authored by Alliance member organization, ACER, calling for the cancellation of rent and mortgages for those unable to pay; virtual events, job openings and more. Read the Link >

The Link: ‘Woe is You,’ White People Say. What We Need is a Remedy.

4/23/20

This edition of the Link includes reflections and recommendations on “Mobility Justice and COVID-19” from the Untokening; new resources including the Decolonizing for Organizers Manual and a Combatting Anti-Asian Racism toolkit; an article outlining Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s proposed federal legislation to cancel rent and mortgages during the COVID pandemic and a commentary from Minneapolis City Councilmember, Jeremiah Ellison, in The New York Times; virtual events and job openings. Read the Link >

The Link: Decolonizing Care in Response to COVID-19

4/9/20

This edition of the Link includes the recap from the Alliance’s first Actualizing Equity 2020 event, as well as a commentary authored by the Alliance and Housing Justice Center on the imperative for truly affordable housing at the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) site; a new resource from Movement Generation that shares a framework for Just Recovery; articles on the racialized impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; new funding opportunities for community-based organizations responding to coronavirus; virtual events examining and addressing the spike in racist incidents and discrimination toward Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities in Minnesota; and opportunities for action in this moment. Read the Link >

The Link: We Need Social Solidarity, Not Just Social Distancing

3/25/20

This edition of the Link includes policy agendas from local coalitions responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as messaging guidance around the health crisis; new data and resources related to the Race-Class Narrative project in the Midwest and Minnesota specifically; articles on tenant organizing at Huntington Place in Brooklyn Park, the vital importance of public transit in this time and the role of social solidarity in combatting public health challenges; virtual events from the Untokening, Pollen and others; and opportunities for action in this moment. Read the Link >

The Link: The Truth About Tenant Protections

3/11/20

This edition of the Link includes a statement on the proposed tenant protections ordinance in St. Paul, along with a myth-busting fact sheet to combat misconceptions and false information on the proposed policies; a new “Pathways to a People’s Economy” toolkit from the New Economy Coalition; an update on the efforts to repeal a Crime-Free Drug-Free ordinance in St. Louis Park; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Actualizing Equity Series Starts this Friday

2/26/20

This edition of the Link includes a tool on “Communicating the Climate Crisis;” our latest Alliance Leader Q&A with Michael McDowell of the West Side Community Organization; new research and analysis on the impact of luxury apartments on surrounding rents and the efficacy of upzoning to boost affordability; a piece from Sayu Bhojwani on “Let’s Get Real About Why Women of Color are So Tired;” events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Transit Advocates Push to Decriminalize Fare Evasion in MN

2/12/20

This edition of the Link includes a report from members of Equity in Place on “Barriers to Fair Housing in the Twin Cities Region;” a new funding opportunity to support BIPOC and low-wealth communities working to build power and advance systems change around housing stability; a commentary from the Alliance and partners on “A CPED for the People: Why a Critical Minneapolis Department Needs a Change;” a piece from scholar Ibram X Kendi on “The Other Swing Voter;” events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: “It’s 2020. Be Bold or Get Out of the Way”

1/29/20

This edition of the Link includes the Equity in Place “5 Pillars of Affordable Housing Policy;” a new infographic on “Factors Impacting the Economic Wellbeing of Asian Minnesotans” from the Coalition of Asian American Leaders; reporting on a statewide rule change to protect tenants from mid-lease rent increases; a commentary from Michelle Alexander on “The Injustice of this Moment is Not an Aberration;” events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: Equity in Place Releases Policy Agenda

1/15/20

This edition of the Link includes the recently released Equity in Place Policy Agenda; lessons learned around the implementation of New York City’s right to counsel in eviction law; reflections on “Moving Toward Conflict for the Sake of Good Strategy;” analysis on “Democratizing Economic Power to Break the Cycle of American Inequality;” our latest Alliance Member Spotlight, sharing the equitable creative placemaking work of the Asian Economic Development Association; a new podcast from Fresh Energy; events, jobs and more! Read the Link >

The Link: When Does Activism Become Powerful?

1/01/20

This edition of the Link includes a new report from Smart Growth America on “The State of Transportation and Health Equity;” the 2019 Inclusiveness Index from the Haas Institute; analysis on “When Does Activism Become Powerful” from Hahrie Han of Johns Hopkins University; a new blog series from Colorlines featuring Latinx movement leaders, artists and innovators reflecting on identity; and more! Read the Link >

The Link 2019

The Link: Local Leaders’ Fight Against Colorism Takes on Amazon 

12/18/19

This edition of the Link includes a new publication that weaves together poetry, policy and community narrative from Voices for Racial Justice; new reports from CTUL on “Building with Dignity and Respect: The Case for Worker-driven Social Responsibility in the Twin Cities Construction Industry” and the national NAACP on the “Twin Cities Economic Inclusion Plan;” an update (and video!) on the move toward city adoption of the West Side Equitable Development Scorecard in St. Paul; articles on free transit in Kansas City, a new mega-development in Oakdale and a campaign led by the The Beautywell Project, supported by Alliance member organization Sierra Club North Star Chapter, to combat colorism and demand Amazon discontinue the sale of unsafe skin lightening products; events, jobs and more! Read the Link

The Link: $1 Trillion for Green Public Housing?

12/4/19

This edition of the Link includes a new resource on “Notes on a Cultural Strategy”, aimed at storytellers, artists, organizers, cultural strategists, funders, and collaborators who are working to develop cultural strategies alone or as part of organizations and movements; a set of pieces published in the Urban Affairs Journal digging into the impact and implications of eliminating “exclusionary zoning”, including “Democracy, Exclusion, and White Supremacy: How Should We Think About Exclusionary Zoning?“; articles on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s proposed Homes for All Act, the new chief of Metro Transit police, a new Minnesota History Center exhibit that tells stories from a Native perspective; events, jobs and more! Read the Link

The Link: A Native American Alternative to the Harmful Lie of Thanksgiving

11/20/19

This edition of the Link includes articles on “A Native American Alternative To The Harmful Lie Of Thanksgiving,” nine podcasts from Indigenous women and a new Native-developed housing project on East Franklin: a new report and webinar from Right to the City Alliance and Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE) on “How Opportunity Zones Turn Communities into Tax Shelters”; a short Q&A with Lynnea Atlas-Ingebretson, Metropolitan Council Member for District 6; the Alliance’s public testimony on housing investments in the proposed City of Minneapolis 2020 budget; events, jobs and more! Read the Link

The Link: Actualizing Equity in Advisory Committees

11/6/19

This edition of the Link includes the recap from our Actualizing Equity event on strategies for advisory committees: a new report from Minnesota Housing Partnership on rent increases and other trends in unsubsidized housing in Hennepin County; a new podcast on racial justice organizing from Race Forward; articles featuring member organizations’ efforts to advance affordable housing and protect tenants’ rights in North Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park; reflections from incoming Alliance Executive Director Joo Hee Pomplun; events, jobs and more! Read the Link

The Link: Creating Our Vision for Equitable Housing

10/23/19

This edition of the Link includes a new report from Trust Black Women and Girls Minnesota; the recap from our Actualizing Equity event on “Creating our Vision for Equitable Housing;” a resource on “What to consider when acknowledging you are on stolen indigenous lands;” a research roundup on rent control policies; articles on an “eviction for profit” scheme in North Minneapolis and Native leaders taking back control of their health care; parting words from outgoing Alliance Executive Director Russ Adams; events, jobs and more! Read the Link

The Link: City Leaders Propose Study of Rent Stabilization for Minneapolis

10/2/19

This edition of the Link includes a new report from Race Forward with practical tips for racially equitable communications to broaden the collective responsibility for employment; a policy brief on “Identity Politics: Friend or Foe” from Black Lives Matter global movement cofounder Alicia Garza; an in-depth interview with author Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, who argues “there’s no housing crisis; it’s just housing under capitalism;” anniversary reflections from the Alliance’s first staffer member; the latest Alliance Leader Q&A with HOME Line’s Ivory Taylor; events, jobs and more! Read the Link

The Link: The Dawn of Climate Fascism; Equity and Smart Mobility, and more

9/18/19

This edition of the Link includes new reports from the Metropolitan Council on “Development Trends Along Transit” and the Institute on Sustainable Communities on “Equity and Smart Mobility;” policy briefs on “Ending Legal Bias Against Formerly Incarcerated People” and “Enhancing Equity Through a Land Value Tax;” articles highlighting the Youth Climate Strike and “The Dawn of Climate Fascism;” events featuring storytelling and the arts; as well as job openings from member organizations Sierra Club North Star Chapter and CAPI ! Read the Link

The Link: Principles for a Just Transition, Progress on Renters Rights

9/4/19

This edition of the Link includes Just Transition Principles from the Climate Justice Alliance; a recent report outlining how rent control can build healthy and stable communities; a new local podcast focused on Money Power Land Solidarity; articles highlighting political organizing by API youth in the Twin Cities, the opening of a business incubator for black women, updates on progress toward the passage of a tenant protections ordinance in Minneapolis and more; as well as events and jobs from our members! Read the Link

The Link: Renters Take Action For Tenant Protections At MHA And City Hall

8/21/19

This edition of the Link includes an in-depth series of essays and explorations from The New York Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery that aims to reframe the country’s history’ a new “equity screen” for communications created by Nonprofit AF’s Vu Le; updates on the campaign supporting the passage of tenant protection ordinances in Minneapolis; funding opportunities from the Minneapolis and Headwaters foundations; articles from Colorlines, Next City and Streetsblog LA on grassroots organizing, funding innovations for Muslim homeownership and how racist policy has influenced who has access and agency to public space; events and jobs from our members and more! Read the Link

The Link: Renters Respond to “Safe and Affordable Minneapolis” Attack on Tenant Protections

7/24/19

This edition of the Link includes our latest recap resource from the Actualizing Equity series on “Securing Strong Community Benefits;” videos and media coverage of our recent press conference lifting up renter voices against landlord attacks on proposed tenant protections in Minneapolis; announcement of two new Alliance staff members; articles from The Atlantic, Vice and the LA Times on car-dependancy, gentrification and discrimination against immigrants in public housing; events from our members and more! Read the Link

The Link: Alliance Files Lawsuit Demanding Affordable Housing at Region’s Largest Redevelopment Site

7/10/19

This edition of the Link includes our latest Equitable Development Principles & Scorecard case study on a parks development toolkit from the Trust for Public Land; a new BIPOC consultants directory from Nexus Community Partners; articles on the Alliance filing a lawsuit against the City of Arden Hills demanding affordable housing at the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant site and opposing the construction of a new parking ramp in downtown Minneapolis; as well as events and job postings from our member organizations! Read the Link

The Link: Anti-Green Gentrification Toolkit

6/25/19

This edition of the Link includes a new toolkit from the CREATE Initiative that provides an intervention in the green infrastructure planning process to lend a critical lens to how and for whom green infrastructure is built; the annual Out of Reach report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition; media coverage and an Alliance video unmasking the entity behind the new “Safe & Affordable Neighborhoods” astro-turfing campaign in Minneapolis; reflections from Julia Freeman in the OUR Alliance blog series marking our 25th Anniversary; events and job postings from our member organizations — and more! Read the Link

The Link: Fewer Theories of Change, More Community Organizing

6/12/19

This edition of the Link includes a recap resource from our May Actualizing Equity event on transit-oriented development; a new report from the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, “The Illusion of Choice: Evictions and Profit in North Minneapolis,” reflections from adrienne maree brown on “What Your Body Has to Do with Social Change;” commentaries from the Alliance and partners about tenant screening in Minneapolis and evictions in St. Louis Park; events from our member organizations — and two job postings from Rail~volution! Read the Link

The Link: A Mid-Year Check-In on Your Role in the Social Change Ecosystem

5/29/19

This edition of the Link includes resources from Deepa Iyer and Bunny McKenzie Mack on our roles in the social change ecosystem and unlearning oppressive tendencies in leadership; new funding opportunities for affordable housing advocacy and supporting women in environmental justice work; the debut of the OUR Alliance blog series featuring leaders’ reflections on our collective work together over the past 25 years; articles on reparations and racism as a public health crisis; events from our member organizations — and two job postings from the Alliance! Read the Link

The Link: Green Line Cuts Put Spotlight on Met Council Decisionmaking

5/15/19

This edition of the Link includes an Alliance recap and published commentary from Kadra Abdi reflecting on the need for more equitable and inclusive decision-making at Met Council, a new report on “Housing and Economic Growth in the Twin Cities,” an article exploring the community development innovations of late rapper and entrepreneur Nipsey Hustle, community forums in St. Paul and Minneapolis on preventing displacement and more. Read the Link

The Link: Why Density Isn’t Enough

5/1/19

This edition of the Link includes the recap resource from the Alliance’s Actualizing Equity event focused on “Why Density Isn’t Enough,” a member profile on ACER’s Pathway to Citizenship Campaign, a new report on “Making Bicycling Equitable,” articles on the racial equity impacts of housing and transit investments, jobs from the Twin Cities Media Alliance and more. Read the Link

The Link: Equity Advisory Committee Questions Proposal to Eliminate 24-Hour Service on the Green Line

4/17/19

This edition of the Link includes the recap resource from the Alliance’s Actualizing Equity event focused on “New Electeds of Color and Approaches to Policymaking,” a new report from the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs on “Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence,” articles on the Equity Advisory Committee’s concerns around the proposed elimination of 24-hour service on the Green Line, micro-entrepreneurs in North Minneapolis and more. Read the Link

The Link: Homelessness Spikes by 10% since 2015

4/3/19

This edition of the Link includes new reports on homelessness in Minnesota, rental trends in Minneapolis, and racial inclusion in the regional economy, along with articles about the development of the region’s largest plot of vacant land, the Alliance’s upcoming leadership transition and the inaugural edition of the Frogtown Free Press. Read the Link

The Link: Funding and Resources to Build Resilience and Power

3/20/19

This edition of the Link includes new funding and resources from CURA, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Windcall to support community organizing, highlights an annual report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition that quantifies the dramatic gap between the demand and availability of affordable housing, shares a resource on “How to do a Land Acknowledgement” and more. Read the Link

The Link: YIMBYs, Rent Control, New Met Council and More!

3/06/19

This edition of the Link shares a package of articles from Shelterforce exploring the rise of “YIMBYs” in housing advocacy, a new report from Right to the City quantifying the benefits of rent control, a recap resource from the Alliance’s first Actualizing Equity 2019 event, the Governor’s announcement of the new members of the Metropolitan Council and more. Read the Link

The Link: Recommendations for Met Council Submitted to Governor

2/23/19

This edition of the Link shares the latest report from the Met Council on the production of affordable housing in the Twin Cities, a new documentary revealing Minneapolis’ legacy of racial covenants, a profile of Hope Community and its approach to organizing and housing development, and more! Read the Link

The Link: Gentrification, Upzoning and Testing Hypotheses on Equitable Development

2/6/19

This edition of the Link highlights a new report from the UMN’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs “The Diversity of Gentrification: Multiple Forms of Gentrification in Minneapolis and St. Paul,” a case study on the use of the Equitable Development Principles and Scorecard by Cycles for Change, a video on an organizing win to electrify Metro Transit buses and more! Read the Link

The Link: Met Council Finalists Announced!

1/23/19

This edition of the Link shares the list of finalists for the Metropolitan Council, a new report on “The Past, Present, and Future of Development along Twin Cities Transitways,” an Alliance member profile on Fresh Energy’s work to advance access and equity, and more! Read the Link

The Link: The Alliance and members are hiring!

1/09/19

This edition of the Link shares job openings at the Alliance and member organizations, as well as resources from a Jewish Community Action workshop on Anti-Semitism and White Nationalism; new analysis from the Met Council on “Visualizing Regional Racial Disparities,” an interactive map of where families with children use housing vouchers and more! Read the Link >

The Link 2018

The Link: Organizing Wins for Affordable Housing and Clean Transit

12/12/18

This edition of the Link highlights organizing wins in affordable housing — including progress towards an inclusionary housing framework in Minneapolis and a funding award for an affordable housing project in Eden Prairie — as well as a win for the electrification of transit in the Twin Cities. Read the Link >

The Link: Evicted Before Convicted in St Louis Park

11/28/18

This edition of the Link includes a special report by Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia —Disparate Cities — that examines how housing policy has created a socioeconomic underclass in the Twin Cities and proposes three strategies for redressing these wrongs and creating a more democratic society: a tenants’ bill of rights, tenants’ unions, and housing cooperatives. It also includes a new resource from Enterprise Community Partners that provides “A Framing Playbook for Affordable Housing Advocates” and an article on police in St. Louis Park ordering landlords to evict people from their homes for reported criminal activity even though they were never convicted or charged with a crime and . Read the Link >

The Link: Fostering Communities Of Inclusion In An Era Of Inequality

11/7/18

This edition of the Link includes a new report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies that examines different aspects of the complex and deeply rooted problem of residential segregation and proposes concrete steps that could achieve meaningful change within the next 10 to 15 years. It also includes articles on the growing landlord/tenant wealth gap and the impact of climate change on the Twin Cities. Read the Link >

The Link: Addressing Health Inequities

10/24/18

This edition of the Link includes a new report by researchers at the University of Minnesota, with support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, which examines the impact of health inequities in our state and how those inequities result in lives and dollars lost each year. The report explores the disproportionate prevalence of preventable disease and death within communities of color and the American Indian community. It highlights how addressing these health inequities is an opportunity to stem that tide, while also improving the economic vitality of the state. Read the Link >

The Link: Opportunity Atlas

10/10/18

This edition of the Link includes the Opportunity Atlas, a resource that contains a trove of data on median household income, incarceration rates, and marriage rates, and lets viewers dig down to the Census tract level, showing just how vastly different the future economic prospects of a child can look from one neighborhood to the next. Read the Link >

The Link: Race, Class, and the Outdoors

9/26/18

Factors like socioeconomic status, age, whether a person has a disability, whether or not they own a car, and what languages they speak all determine how easy or difficult it is to survive and recover from disasters like Hurricane Florence. This edition of the Link explores how different identities experience environmental events differently. Read the Link >

The Link: Expanding the Circle of Human Concern

9/12/18

This edition of the Link includes a new study that confirms that people who oppose creating more multifamily housing development tend to speak at public meetings much more often than those who support it. Read the Link >

The Link: Building Wealth, Building Power

8/29/18

This edition of the Link includes a new Pew Research Center analysis of government data that finds income inequality in the US is greatest among Asians. From 1970 to 2016, the gap in the standard of living between Asian people near the top and the bottom of the income ladder nearly doubled. As we know, this income inequality has major social and economic consequences – those with less access to income and wealth experience diminished economic opportunity and mobility and have less political influence. Read the Link >

The Link: Why Is This Happening?

8/15/18

This edition of the Link includes a new study that analyzes Twitter data and finds that racial segregation not only divides us based on where we live, but how we travel around cities for everyday activities like shopping, visiting friends and family, working, or going out to eat. Race is the defining element of this segregation of mobility. Read the Link >

The Link: The Geography of Wellness

8/1/18

Wellness is not evenly distributed. Invisiblized policies and practices determine which neighborhoods are home to pollution and which are environmentally and economically healthy. As we’ve seen, the burden of inequitable land use policies and regulations falls largely on neighborhoods with people of color, indigenous, immigrant, and under-resourced communities, reinforcing environmental harm and poverty and furthering the wellness divide. This edition of the Link includes information about an upcoming event where we will discuss these historical harms to communities and share our vision of equitable land use policies that enrich neighborhoods, connecting residents to a broad set of choices for recreation, shopping, learning, laboring, and living. Read the Link >

The Link: Climate Gentrification and Environmental Racism

7/18/18

Recent threats to environmental protection will have an especially severe impact on people of color and low-income communities, who are disproportionately exposed to environmental health burdens – many of which have roots in intentionally discriminatory land use and housing policies, including residential segregation. This edition of the Link includes a Research & Advocacy Guide from PRRAC that argues for an affirmative new vision of environmental justice protections, supported by an annotated bibliography of sources that describe the scope of environmental racism, its link to housing segregation, and the inadequacy of current protections to keep all of us healthy and safe, regardless of race or income. Read the Link >

The Link: Responding to Xenophobia

7/4/18

This edition of the Link includes the Opportunity Agenda’s values-based messaging guide for use when talking about immigrant families. They recommend lifting up our shared values as a nation, making clear how the separation and incarceration of children is part of a broad approach and ideology that violates those values, and providing specific alternatives and actions that our audiences can take and policymakers must pursue. Read the Link >

The Link: Who Speaks for the Neighborhood?

6/20/18

True community engagement respects communities as experts who define the problems, design the solutions, and evaluate the outcomes. This edition of the Link includes plans to discuss how folks are challenging systems that reinforce the status quo and creating accessible spaces, projects, and processes that allow community members to feel welcomed as their full selves. Read the Link >

The Link: Reclaiming/Reframing Fair Housing

6/6/18

What do we have in common in a city with significant racial disparities in employment, education and other markers of well-being? Can there ever be common ground on land that was colonized? And what do these questions mean for Downtown Minneapolis — one neighborhood in the midst of many in our metropolis? Read the Link >

The Link: Housing Is A Human Right

5/23/18

Every member of our community has a right to an affordable, safe, dignified home. This edition of the Link includes information about plans to explore how that right is denied and disregarded in the face of gendered violence, racism, the (in)justice system, anti-immigrant discrimination, and other forms of oppression. Read the Link >

The Link: What Does Community Control of Land Mean?

5/9/18

Shelterforce put out a call for essays about the meaning of community control of land and gathered responses from residents and researchers, activists and advocates, all over the country. Check out their ideas in this edition of the Link. Read the Link >

The Link: Make Homes Happen

4/25/18

The reality is that affordability is slipping away from Minneapolis. One of five residents is a cost-burdened renter, and average monthly rent has risen 31 percent since 2012. Although affordable units are being added to the market, it’s simply not enough. Between 2000 and 2014, the city is estimated to have lost 11,500 affordable units. Production of affordable housing needs to at least triple just to keep up with annual population growth. Learn how Make Homes Happen wants to address the need for affordable homes. Read the Link >

The Link: Untokening

4/11/18

The Untokening is a multiracial collective that centers the lived experiences of marginalized communities to address mobility justice and equity. They have developed Principles of Mobility Justice, a living document that will change and evolve over time as our challenges and community priorities shift. Read the Link >

The Link: Investigating the Intersections of Issue Areas

3/28/18

The National Fair Housing Alliance filed a lawsuit which argues that Facebook lets landlords prevent certain communities from seeing advertisements of housing for sale or rent, which violates the Fair Housing Act and does not allow the freedom of housing choice that must be a protected human right. This story and more in this edition of the Link. Read the Link >

The Link: Communities Over Commodities

3/15/18

This edition of the Link includes a report from Homes for All and Right to the City that details the deep inequalities low-income and communities of color in our current housing model. It also proposes 5 Just Housing Principles: 1) Community Control, 2) Affordability, 3) Inclusivity, 4) Permanence, and 5) Health and Sustainability. Read the Link >

The Link: Power at the Margins

2/28/18

This edition of the Link covers the Inclusionary Housing Calculator 2.0, The Uneven Gains of Energy Efficiency, Mapping the Conflict Zones Between Sprawl and Biodiversity, and Airbnb and the Unintended Consequences of Disruption. Read the Link >

The Link: Love Your Neighborhood

2/14/18

To catch the eyes of city officials, St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood is launching a small area plan in cartoon form. Mychal Batson, an artist who grew up in Frogtown, spoke with hundreds of residents and wrote and illustrated the comic, dubbed SMAPL! (for small area plan). Read the Link >

The Link: When should we call something racist?

1/31/17

This edition of the Link includes a Code Switch podcast episode where a wide variety of people share their thoughts on calling out racism. Read the Link >

The Link: MLK Day and Actualizing Equity

1/4/18

Join us in building a national and local agenda to advance equity! Our focus is on implementing equity policies in the Twin Cities and the greater United States. Read the Link >

The Link 2017

The Link: Trauma, Resiliency, and Racial Healing

12/20/17

The National Day of Racial Healing was established in 2017 by more than 550 leaders from around the United States who want to find ways to reinforce and honor our common humanity and create space to celebrate the distinct differences that make our communities vibrant; acknowledge that there are still deep racial divisions in America that must be overcome and healed; and commit to engaging people from all racial, ethnic, religious, and identity groups in genuine efforts to increase understanding, communication, caring, and respect for one another. Read the Link >

The Link: Human Rights Week and Equity Summit Stipends

12/6/17

The Alliance is pleased to announce the availability of stipend funds for community leaders, advocates, and organizational staff to attend PolicyLink’s upcoming Equity Summit: Our Power. Our Future. Our Nation. This national convening will take place Wednesday, April 11 – Friday, April 13 and is located in Chicago, IL. Read the Link >

The Link: Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving

11/21/17

This Thanksgiving season, the Alliance wants to uplift Native voices and acknowledge our nation’s history of colonization and the attempted erasure of Native communities. Read the Link >

The Link: Met Council Advisory Committee Openings

11/8/17

Join Met Council Advisory Committees on Equity, Land Use, Transportation, and Transportation Accessibility. Read the Link >

The Link: Speech, Belonging, and Mayoral Races

9/27/17

This edition of the Link shares information about mayoral races and includes a resource guide that  presents research-based evidence and perspectives on a range of free speech issues including belonging, framing, coded racial appeals, and a deeper understanding of harm. Read the Link >

The Link: Renter Week of Action and More

9/14/17

This edition of the Link highlights events taking place during Renter Week of Action, a national movement for affordable housing and tenant rights led by Homes for All.  Read the Link >

The Link: Protect Our Homes, State Election Roundup, and More

8/16/17

This edition of the Link highlights the significant racial and gender disparities in evictions. Even controlling for income – which is often unacceptably low for women of color – African-American women are more likely to experience eviction. It also includes information about the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless’ campaign urging the U.S. Department of Housing and Development to invest in the proven programs that are reducing housing instability in communities across the country.  Read the Link >

The Link: Redefining Affordability, Transit Fare Increase, and More

8/3/17

This edition of the Link includes information about a 25-cent fare increase for local and express buses, light rail and commuter rail, as well as a 50-cent hike for Metro Mobility, a service for disabled people. For a person taking the bus or LRT twice a day five days a week, the increase will cost an additional $130 a year — likely more if other kinds of trips are factored in. Read the Link >

The Link: Support Urban Density

7/19/17

This edition of the Link includes a report on changes in density in major U.S. cities from 2010-2016. The Twin Cities are ranked 28th in density among 51 metros studied, yet our region’s density trendline was in line with the dense and increasingly denser places of the East and West coasts. It also highlights the possibility for higher density at St. Paul’s Ford development. Read the Link >

The Link: Renters Rising

7/5/17

This edition of the Link includes a new report from the National Multifamily Housing Council and the National Apartment Association says that the Twin Cities needs 70,783 new apartments by 2030 to keep pace with demand, assuming current social and demographic trends continue. It also describes why more people are choosing renting over homeownership. Read the Link >

The Link: When Housing is Out of Reach

6/20/17

This edition of the Link includes a recently released report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that there is nowhere in this country where someone working a full-time minimum wage job can afford to rent a two-bedroom apartment. It also provides further documentation of the drastic gap between wages and the cost of rental housing. Read the Link >

The Link: Facing Structural Racism

6/8/17

This edition of the Link includes a free, book-length description of corruption in American economic development from Good Jobs First. It also highlights Bob Herbert’s new documentary, Against All Odds: The Fight for a Black Middle Class, which describes the history of structural racism in America and encourages audiences to examine their own roles in maintaining policies, practices, and cultures that continue to harm African-American friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Read the Link >

The Link: Homeownership and the Color of Law

5/25/17

This edition of the Link describes the reality of our nation’s subsidized housing system, which largely benefits middle and upper class white homeowners. It also highlights Richard Rothstein’s new book, The Color of Law, which details how federal housing policies in the 1940s and ’50s mandated segregation and undermined the ability of black families to own homes and build wealth. Read the Link >

The Link: Coming Together to Support Transit

5/11/17

This edition of the Link describes the impact of the Transportation Conference Committee’s proposed transit bill on budget, policy, and the Twin Cities community. It also highlights the efforts of Transportation Forward, a coalition of organizations including the Sierra Club, Transit for Livable Communities, and the Alliance, which is bringing community members together to fight against fare hikes and cuts to transit service. Read the Link >

The Link: Visualizing Regional Narratives

4/27/17

This edition of the Link includes a series of maps and data points about the United States’ mega-regions. Understanding economic connections and transportation routes on a large scale can support efforts to improve regional planning practices. Read the Link >

The Link: Mapping Health and Housing by Region

4/13/17

This edition of the Link provides resources for analyzing health disparities and housing markets by city, neighborhood, and county. A Zillow report highlights the racial gap in rental affordability and a Forbes writer explains how huge home mortgage subsidies enable white people to build personal wealth and exclude people of color. Read the Link >

The Link: Understand and Protect Affordable Housing Options

3/29/17

This edition of the Link highlights local manufactured home parks, an affordable option for homeownership that is in jeopardy statewide. Lowry Grove Park in St. Anthony has already been threatened and Arden Manor, a park in Arden Hills, might be impacted by redevelopment at the nearby Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant. Read the Link >

The Link: Potential Bus Fare Increase, MN State Budget Examined

3/16/17

This edition of the Link highlights Dakota County’s vote to block the dissolution of the Counties Transit Improvement Board. Dissolving the board would allow Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Washington, and Dakota counties to raise taxes and independently control the revenue in their regions, but Dakota County commissioners claim they have only received a 43% return on their investment. Read the Link >

The Link: Know Your Rights

3/2/17

This edition of the Link highlights resources from the community and the ACLU addressing where to find community leadership training, the structure of local government and how to become involved in the 2017 election cycle, and knowing what rights you have and how to act if confronted by immigration agents. Read the Link >

The Link: Results from St. Paul Racial Equity Investigations

2/16/17

This edition of the Link highlights findings from an ongoing investigation by the City of St. Paul into how people of color experience the city. Each city department conducted a data-driven analysis to determine whether services are provided fairly across geographic, racial, and income levels. Results have led the city to change some hiring practices, community outreach, and investment programs. Read the Link >

The Link: MN lawmakers introduce bills to discourage protesters and to require permit and fees to use bike lanes

2/2/17

This edition of the Link highlights articles on activity within the Minnesota legislature. Representatives have introduced House bills intended to discourage protesters from staging demonstrations and to require a permit and fees of bicyclists who intend to use bike lanes within the Twin Cities area. Both bills have sparked debate over the negative impacts they would have on people of color. Read the Link >

The Link: Disbanding Transit Board May Save Transit Funding

1/19/17

This edition of the Link highlights an article exploring how dissolving the Counties Transit Improvement Board could actually increase the funding available for transit projects. Counties would be able to double the sales tax amount collected for transit projects, which would allow several planned improvements to move forward without state funding. The allocation of transportation funds has been a contentious issue between Gov. Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature for the past three years. Read the Link >

The Link: Tenants Mobilize to Demand Change

1/5/17

This edition of the Link features articles exploring what happens when tenants unite for change. A movement spearheaded by United Renters for Justice is drawing attention to rising rents and buildings with substandard maintenance, while other tenants are exploring ways to prevent the manufactured home parks they live in from being sold and redeveloped. Read the Link >

The Link 2016

The Link: Gentrification Debate Heats Up

12/15/16

This edition of the Link includes several articles concerning the loss of affordable housing and the gentrification of Twin Cities neighborhoods. One recent study shows an influx of higher income residents and development across Minneapolis. Combined with decreasing household incomes, the trend is forcing low-income renters out. Read the Link >

The Link: Nonprofit Alliance Results in Real Change for Housing Issues

12/01/16

This edition of the Link includes articles about a new nonprofit alliance between La Asamblea de Derechos Civiles and African Career, Education and Resource Inc. The two organizations initially presented a joint petition to the Brooklyn Park City Council asking for support in tackling livability issues at the Autumn Ridge Apartments, which resulted in some immediate changes for the residents. Now the groups are compiling resident concerns to create a “Civil Rights Blueprint for Housing in the Brooklyns.” Read the Link >

The Link: Initiatives Focused on Increasing Capacity of Women of Color Promise Change

10/27/16

This edition of the Link highlights two community efforts focused on securing racial equality for women in the Twin Cities region. The Community Artists Leadership Initiative builds the capacity of artists of color, LGBTQ artists, and women artists, to secure the funding they need to produce great work. And the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota, a new effort involving the Minnesota governor’s office, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota’s Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center, will be the nation’s first-ever private-public union in tackling racial-gender gaps, and will focus on improving the quality of life for women of color, women in Greater Minnesota, women who identify as LGBTQ and women with disabilities. Read the Link >

The Link: Metro Area Projects Advance for Regional Funding

10/13/16

This edition of the Link highlights a Metropolitan Council article describing several Transportation Improvement projects scheduled for construction. The Transportation Improvement Program is a $3.9 billion collection of proposed state- and federally-funded highway, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects scheduled to begin between 2017 and 2020. Read the Link >

The Link: Closing the Racial Gaps: Together We Can

9/29/16

The Link features several articles from Living Cities’ new blog series. The series highlights ongoing efforts across the U.S. that show promise of helping close racial opportunity gaps. Efforts across the country range from transforming education to ensuring that health outcomes are not dictated by the color of people’s’ skin. Read the Link >

The Link: Households of Color Left Out of the Income Boom

9/15/16

The latest edition of the Link features an article from the Star Tribune concerning median incomes among households of color. Although family incomes in Minnesota have increased by 3%, black, Asian Pacific Islander, Latino, and American Indian median household incomes in the state did not rise in a statistically meaningful way. Read the Link >

The Link: Plans to Move Forward with the Southwest LRT

9/1/16

The latest edition of the Link includes several articles about plans to move forward with the Southwest light rail transit line. The $144.5 million transitway’s funding gap is officially filled after months of debates between state leaders and intensive effort from regional planners. The Metropolitan Council unanimously voted Wednesday evening to fill the final piece of the project by agreeing to finance $91.75 million in certificates of participation. The Counties Transit Improvement Board and the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority will fill the remainder of the gap. These commitments from local partners are instrumental in demonstrating to the Federal Transit Administration that Southwest LRT is viable and has that local agencies can meet their funding responsibilities. Read the Link >

The Link: Red Lake Band Plans Affordable Housing for Tribal Members

8/18/16

The latest edition of the Link includes an article from the Red Lake Nation News about the tribe’s plans to purchase property in Minneapolis and offer affordable housing, retail and leisure amenities to the community. The project site is at 17th Avenue South and Cedar Ave in Minneapolis, approximately 200 feet from the Franklin Station of the Blue Line, and  the gateway of the American Indian Cultural Corridor, home to the largest population of urban American Indian people in Minnesota. Read the Link >

The Link: North Minneapolis Expanding Food Systems Through Urban Agriculture

8/4/16

The latest edition of the Link includes a Twin Cities Daily Planet article about reclaiming food systems in North Minneapolis. Read the Link >

The Link: Legislative Leaders Work Toward Special Session and More

7/21/16

The latest edition of the Link includes an article about terse negotiations between top Minnesota lawmakers over a possible special session of the Legislature. In order to get legislators to agree to the session, Governor Mark Dayton had to abandon a long list of previously held priorities, including $182 million in new bonding projects and nearly $80 million in new spending over the next year. Read the Link >

The Link: Affordable Manufactured Housing and More

06/16/16

The latest edition of the Link includes a study by the Metropolitan Council on manufactured housing within the Twin Cities region. The study found that manufactured housing is often the most affordable option for low-income households, but manufactured housing parks are becoming more scarce. Parks close due to redevelopment pressure, the inability of park owners to maintain aging infrastructure, and road expansions. Freya Thamman, Metro Council planner and co-project manager for the study and pilot program, said, “The future of manufactured housing parks affects the most economically disadvantaged families in the region, so that makes it an important equity issue.”

Read the Link >

The Link: “From Diversity to Inclusion” and More

06/02/16

This edition of Link includes a Plains Dealer article by Janet H. Cho, profiling Verna Myers and her work on promoting diversity and inclusion. Myers’ recent Ted talk on overcoming unconscious biases has over 1.2 million views. “Biases are the stories we make up about people before we learn who they are,” Myers said. They are especially apparent “when things are high-risk, or you have to make quick decisions.” She proposes three actionable methods for overcoming bias: seek out diversity in your social circles, attend events where you are the minority, and confront biases in friends, acquaintances and colleagues.

Read the Link >

The Link: Time Running out for Legislature Bills and More

05/19/16

This edition of the Link eNewsletter includes an article from the MinnPost about what bills the Minnesota Legislature could still pass, and which they won’t. A bonding bill – a $335 million dollar package calling for road and bridge projects, port funding, airport and railroad crossings, and other University and infrastructure projects – still needs at least eight more votes to pass the House. Republicans are also proposing a tax cuts bill, which Gov. Mark Dayton says he won’t sign without the inclusion of tax credits for various groups and projects. Although Transportation talks initially seemed promising, Republicans and Gov. Dayton couldn’t come to an agreement on the allocation of bonds and general fund money.

Read the Link >

The Link: A Crusade to Defeat Dividing Lines and More

04/07/16

This edition of the Link eNewsletter includes a link to a Washington Post article discussing how highways have traditionally been cut through low income and minority neighborhoods. Anthony Foxx, U.S. Transportation Secretary, is launching a crusade to change this practice. “The country is reaching the end of the useful life of a lot of our infrastructure, and we’re going to have to replace and rebuild a lot, so I want people to be thinking about this,” he said.

Read the Link >

The Link: Community Gardens for Connection and Empowerment and More

03/10/16

This edition of the Link includes an article from the Project for Public Spaces discussing the role of community gardens in creating connections and improving quality of life within low-income and minority communities. Among the benefits are increased mental and physical health, natural opportunities for educational programming, and decreased crime and violence within neighborhoods. Additionally, community gardens provide an opportunity for the preservation of unique crops and cultivation techniques.

Read the Link >

The Link: Transit Ridership Up To 85.5 Million and More

02/15/16

In this edition of the Link: a news release from MetroTransit announced that the METRO Blue Line set a new ridership record, with more than 85.5 million rides on buses and trains in 2015. “With two light-rail lines, more than 100 bus routes and a commuter rail line, the Twin Cities is more connected than it’s been in a very long time,” General Manager Brian Lamb said. Initiatives to continue increasing commuter numbers will continue through 2016.

Read the Link >

The Link 2015

The Link: St. Paul Included in Bloomberg Initiative and More

12/17/15

This issue of the Link includes an article about the Bloomberg Initiative, a competitive city improvement program, from the Pioneer Press. St. Paul is one of 21 cities chosen for the “What Works Cities” Bloomberg initiative, a program that pairs cities with outside experts to review data and use those insights to improve public policy and management. Resulting strategies ultimately result in improved services for city residents.

Read the Link >

The Link: Cities Building Community Wealth and More

11/19/15

This issue of the Link eNewsletter includes a link to a free PDF download, “Cities Building Community Wealth.” The report explores why community-based economic development is a growing trend and how it promotes equity, inclusion, and sustainability. The report identifies core beliefs of this new method, and strategies for how city governments can foster community-based economic development within their own localities.

Read the Link >

The Link: HUD Secretary Visits Twin Cities and More

11/19/15

This issue of the Link eNewsletter includes an article in the Star Tribune reviewing the HUD Secretary Julian Castro’s visit to the Twin Cities area. He has made three visits in three months to the area, bringing tensions between affordable housing advocates and developers to the surface. New federal requirements passed in July require cities to analyze and combat housing segregation. “I very firmly believe that HUD has a role to play, that housing has a role to play in ensuring that we effectively give folks a second chance in life,” Castro said.

Read the Link >

The Link: Met Council Establishes New Advisory Committee on Equity and More

10/22/15

This issue of the Link includes information about a new Equity Advisory Committee, established by the Metropolitan Council. The committee will consist of 21 members, including four current Council members. Members will create an annual workplan to discuss policy questions and advise the full Council on implementing equity commitments. The Council will begin recruiting members for the committee in the coming weeks.

Read the Link >

The Link: Push to Restore Lake Calhoun’s Original Name and More

10/09/15

The Link eNewsletter includes a letter to the editor in the Star Tribune, calling to restore Lake Calhoun’s designation to “Bde Maka Ska,” meaning “White Earth Lake.” Letter authors Carly Bad Heart Bull, Kate Beane, and Tracy Nordstrom write, “A return to the original Dakota name (meaning “White Earth Lake”) would honor the area’s first inhabitants, signaling Minneapolis’ evolution as a community composed of many, with visionary citizens willing to understand history, re-frame and move forward together.”

Read the Link >

The Link: Metropolitan Council Honors Community Engagement Steering Committee and More

09/24/15

A resolution honoring the contributions of the Community Engagement Steering Committee was passed during the September 23rd Metropolitan Council Meeting. The resolution recognized the efforts of the Committee to engage underrepresented communities and shape policies and decision making. The Committee contributed greatly to the Council’s Public Engagement Plan, which defines the expectations by which the Council should engage with the region’s residents, and types of policy, planning, and operational decisions that need community engagement. Links to the resolution and Engagement Plan are included within this issue of the Link.

Read the Link >

The Link: Lessons on Infrastructure Development and Gentrification from New Orleans and More

09/09/15

This issue of the Link includes several articles about the redevelopment of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Now, ten years after New Orleans was decimated, new housing developments abound and new businesses have poured in. However, many historic residents are also low-income families, and these new benefits are financially out of reach. Lessons from New Orleans can be applied to the Twin Cities region as transportation and infrastructures are improved.

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The Link: Solar Energy Project Aims to Bridge Racial Divide and More

08/20/15

This Link eNewsletter includes a piece from MidWest Energy News, with details on an ambitious solar garden project. The solar installation would produce enough energy to fully power 50 to 60 homes. A unique financing twist allows faith-based institutions who are program subscribers to pay more for their subscription, so economically disadvantaged residents are not barred from this opportunity. The installation also provides an opportunity to train north Minneapolis residents for positions within renewable energy industries.

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The Link: Mapping America’s Renters and More

08/04/15

U.S. Homeownership rates have declined to 63.4 percent, the lowest it has been since 1967. This issue of the Link includes a collection of articles providing more insight into this phenomenon. Among other barriers, transportation costs, student loan repayments, and high rental costs make it difficult to impossible for renters to purchase their own home.

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Common Ground Newsletters, 2005-2015

Common Ground Summer 2015

06/15/15

Our summer 2015 edition of the Common Ground includes a feature on our MoveMN work, a story on the importance of community involvement on advisory committees for Light Rail Transit projects, a highlight of our Ladders of Opportunity work and updates on HIRE Minnesota.

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Common Ground Winter 2014

1/14/15

This edition of the Common Ground features a cover story about a historic Transportation Advisory Board vote. In addition, it includes a story on how community groups are building power for transit equity, a report-back from HIRE Minnesota’s work on keeping state contractors accountable to meeting their hiring goals, the North Minneapolis Greenway survey results and more.

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Common Ground Winter 2013

12/23/13

The winter 2013 edition of the Alliance’s newsletter, the Common Ground, tells powerful stories about our current issues and campaigns. It lifts up the work of our partner groups and shows how, together, we are creating opportunities to advance regional equity in the Twin Cities.

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Common Ground Spring 2013

5/13/13

The spring 2013 edition of the Alliance’s newsletter, the Common Ground, features exciting news about Transit for a Stronger Economy campaign, and how the Central Corridor Project exceeded its hiring goals. It also features information about affordable housing investment and the Brooklyn Park subsidy to Target.

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Common Ground Winter 2012

12/20/12

The winter 2012 edition of the Common Ground features a story on a resolution passed by the Minneapolis City Council requiring a racial equality assessment. It also contains information on the Stadium Equity Plan, an upcoming Fair Housing and Equity Assessment overseen by the Metropolitan Council, the Northside Transportation Network, and Federal Environmental Justice policies affecting Transitway Development.

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Common Ground Summer 2012

7/11/12

The summer 2012 edition of the Common Ground details information about our current issues and campaigns and illustrates how the Alliance and our partner groups are creating opportunities to advance regional equity in the Twin Cities.

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Common Ground Fall 2011

11/15/11

The fall edition of the Common Ground details information about the Corridors of Opportunity Community Engagement Team, and shares stories about our current issues and campaigns.

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Common Ground Spring 2011

6/22/11

The latest Common Ground is packed with information about the current political landscape, including the effect of the legislative session on equity issues and the possible impact of a new Metropolitan Council.

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Common Ground Winter 2010

12/7/10

This issue of the Common Ground is devoted to community engagement. Read about how local groups are transforming the way decisions are made in the Twin Cities region by focusing on meaningful engagement of the people who live and work here!

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Common Ground Spring 2010

3/31/10

The Alliance newsletter “Common Ground” features stories about the connections between people, places and issues in the Twin Cities Region. From securing the three missing light rail stations on Central Corridor, to the Harrison neighborhood’s fight against disinvestment, to the benefits of public transportation and the importance of integrating land-use, housing, economic development in our transit planning, to HIRE Minnesota’s work for hiring equity – this edition shares how on all of these issues, communities have been coming together to make development more racially, economically, and environmentally just. Read all about it!

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Common Ground Winter 2009-10

11/5/09

The Alliance newsletter “Common Ground” features stories about the connections between people, places and issues in the Twin Cities Region. From securing the three missing light rail stations on Central Corridor, to the Harrison neighborhood’s fight against disinvestment, to the benefits of public transportation and the importance of integrating land-use, housing, economic development in our transit planning, to HIRE Minnesota’s work for hiring equity – this edition shares how on all of these issues, communities have been coming together to make development more racially, economically, and environmentally just. Read all about it!

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Common Ground Summer 2009

6/16/09

Our latest Common Ground newsletter is all about the intersection between the environment, the economy and equity!

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Common Ground Winter 2008-09

12/8/08

This edition of the Common Ground is dedicated to the issue of regional equity. What does it mean? How do we achieve it? The newsletter features stories about local and national efforts in several different areas: community development, green jobs, resisting gentrification and displacement, and racial equity impact policies.

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Common Ground Spring 2008

5/21/08

The latest issue of the Common Ground newsletter focuses on recent victories for the Alliance and our partner organizations, including the recent passage of the transportation bill over the governor’s veto and the Twin Cities’ first community-based CBA.

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Common Ground Fall 2007

10/4/07

The Fall 2007 issue of the Alliance’ Common Ground Newsletter features stories about the opportunities and challenges presented by mega-developments being proposed in the Twin Cities. Download the newsletter to read about mega-developments in St. Paul, Arden Hills, Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis and to learn about equitable development efforts taking place throughout the region.

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Common Ground Fall 2006

8/25/06

We are pleased to be able to dedicate the latest issue of Common Ground to featuring stories that illustrate an exciting new phase in the Twin Cities’ movement for smarter growth and more equitable development. For the past year, the Alliance has worked to help a broad range of groups — our member organizations and other community allies — to ensure that low income communities and people of color benefit from the large-scale redevelopments in our midst. One of our central strategies has been to elevate and develop the potential of Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs), as a particular tool in a wide variety of locations and circumstances. You can read about CBA’s, digital justice, University Avenue organizing, and much more by downloading the newsletter.

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Common Ground Fall 2005

10/24/05

The Alliance for Metropolitan Stability’s newsletter, Common Ground is now online. Topics included in this newsletter are the Lexington-University Campaign, transit funding at the state legislature, and Community Benefit Agreements.

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