HOME Line’s Public Policy Blog has moved

HOME Line’s Public Policy Blog has moved to http://homelinemn.org/blog/

The new blog:

• is easier to subscribe to;
• has updated information on federal funding (as a result of the HUD appropriation bill that passed in December 2009)
• will soon include information on local heating codes; and
• is more integrated with HOME Line’s website.

Go to the blog today and check out the new federal funding pages.  (Subscribers to this blog need to re-subscribe at the new site.)

BREAKING NEWS: Judge issues temporary restraining order on Pawlenty’s unilateral budget cut

The Star-Tribune reported reported minutes ago that Ramsey County District Judge Kathleen Gearin issued a temporary restraining order reinstating money for the Minnesota Supplemental Aid Special Diet going back to November 1 pending a hearing in March on the case.

Responding to the suit brought by Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance, which argued that Governor Pawlenty misused his unallotment power in cutting the Special Diet program (beginning this past November) as well as in reducing the Renters’ Credit by 27% (beginning next summer), the judge stated that Pawlenty

“trod upon the constitutional authority of the legislature”

It’s too early to celebrate, however.  The Pawlenty Administration released a statement saying:  “We are weighing all of our options including appeal, reestablishing unallotments under the current forecast, potential legislative action, and other options.”

Stay tuned to this blog for updates and analysis in the weeks and months to come …

For a more thorough article on the Temporary Restraining Order and its potential impact, read this MinnPost article.

Click on the Comment link immediate below for some words of wisdom from one this blog’s readers, Ruth.

COMING SOON: Posting local heat code ordinances

Quite frequently, HOME Line’s staff, volunteers, and interns are itching to do more research and / or translate confusing policies for the regular person.   Got ideas for us?

Within the next couple weeks I will be posting to this blog a reference page of local heat and building code ordinances.  HOME Line’s amazing staff (me excluded) are looking at local codes for Minnesota cities with a population over 5000.  With all the data collected, they’ll try their best to translate the legalese into plain English so you and I can understand it.

Keep your eye on the Sidebar of this blog for a new category:  Local Policy.  That’s where we will have the ordinances paraphrased with (as much as possible) links to the actual ordinances.

Neglectful landlord almost forces tenants out of their homes for the holidays

Since December 5th, tenants living in Golfview Apartments in the City of Anoka have been trying to get their neglectful landlord to fix a backed up sewer pump.

Throughout this time tenants have lived with stench and filth waiting for their landlord to respond.  Sometimes, the landlord’s answer was just to turn off the water to the whole apartment complex.

On December 16th, the tenants contacted HOME Line, and the next day we started organizing with them.  The tenants decided they had to escalate the matter.  They went to the courts, the city council, and ultimately the media.  As of last night, the City had sent the landlord a demand that he fix the problem by this morning or they would do so and charge the landlord with the expenses and, as KSTP reports, “a hefty fine.”

HOME Line regularly works with tenants demanding greater protections in a system skewed to their disadvantage.  We will keep you posted on the tenants’ progress and HOME Line’s efforts to fight for more systemic change.

Update @ 2pm 12/24: With the deadline having past with no action by the landlord, there currently is a team from the city who are working on cleaning as well as repair of the pump.

To view and read media coverage on the plight of Golfview tenants, visit:

• KSTP TV – Minneapolis and St. Paul – Anoka Condemns Apartments Flooded with Sewage.
• Star- Tribune:  Anoka apartment residents anxious for running water, toilets.

Dick Goebel championed the fight to end hunger. He will be missed.

One in seventeen Minnesotans rely upon local food shelves to help feed their families. Last year, there were 2 million visits and 47 million pounds of food distributed at Minnesota’s 300 food shelves. There has been a 62 percent increase in food shelf visits since 2000. This year, many food shelves are seeing double and triple digit increases.       from Hunger Solutions website

Many years ago I lobbied for the Food First Coalition, a collaboration of a number of Minnesota organizations working to end hunger. During that time I got to know an amazing person … Rev. Richard Goebel.

Dick believed, as an obituary in today’s Star Tribune notes, “that nobody should have to go without food.”  I tell you, for all the public policy goals our State should aspire to reach, this one just does not seem like it should be that far-fetched.  And yet, this incredible guy with the talent of bringing people together had to devote a significant portion of his life to just that –  working to end hunger.

Goodbye, Dick.  You will be missed.

Read this Star Tribune obituary for a look at Dick’s life.

Legislation passed the US House providing $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund

We are another step closer to success on the National Housing Trust Fund.  Yesterday, the US House of Representatives passed the Jobs Bill.  It included $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund.

Now it’s up to the Senate.

Our partners on the national level tell us to

ask our Senators to include funding for the National Housing Trust Fund in the next possible legislative vehicle.

Senator Al Franken has already voiced his support for funding the Trust Fund; so, we should focus our attention on Senator Klobuchar … (202) 224-3244

The Obama Administration has also voiced its support for the Trust Fund … so we are getting really close to success.

Thanks to everyone who has made calls to the Minnesota Congressional Delegation.  They are working.

Update on Nat’l Housing Trust Fund: House Puts Nat’l Hsg Trust Fund in Jobs Bill; Senate Still Needs to Act

The House of Representatives is expected to take up the Jobs for Main Street Act, 2010 (H.R. 2847) today, a $75 billion bill that includes $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund and $65 million for project-based vouchers to be distributed along with NHTF dollars. The Jobs for Main Street Act would be paid for with unused TARP funds. Please make sure your Representative knows that you want him or her to support this bill. (The Department of Defense appropriations bill, which had been a potential NHTF vehicle, is moving separately (see post from earlier this week)).

The state-of-play in the Senate is very fluid and changes hourly. The Senate still has to pass several “must pass” items before the end of the year, but is more likely to consider its version of a “Jobs” bill after the New Year. It is critical that your Senators know that you expect them to secure funding for the NHTF as soon as possible.

If you haven’t called Senator Klobuchar or your Congressperson, please take a minute to do so.  (Senator Franken has already voiced his support multiple times for the NHTF).

The basic message is:

Please support any legislation that provides $1 billion  for the National Housing Trust Fund.  Today, it looks like the “Jobs” bill does that in the House.

Honoring those who died while experiencing homelessness in 2009

The 25th Annual Homeless Memorial March and Service Thursday, December 17th

Two of my friends, Greg and Ralph, died last year.  Both had experienced homelessness earlier in their lives.  Thankfully, both had secure housing at the time of their deaths:

• Greg had been a mentor or mine for over ten years.  He, in fact, hired me as a Policy Advocate for the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless in 1997.  Throughout my 11 years with the organization, I knew him as the conscience of those living on the streets.  Greg always managed to bring any of my discussions about policy issues back to how “real people” living on the streets would be impacted.  He was amazing.
• Ralph and I became friends through our joint organizing efforts.  He was a leader of the X-Committee, a St. Paul organization “of, by, and for the homeless.”  Ralph would often carry a video camera lent to him by a local pastor who he teamed up with to do a weekly cable access show on policy matters that helped the community.  Take a look at the image at the top of this post and you can, in fact, see Ralph in his mobility scooter participating in the homeless memorial march the year before he died.  Ironic.  Sad.  Fitting.

This year, I won’t need to eulogize anyone at the memorial service.  Many of my colleagues, however, will tell stories about friends who have left us. 

I look forward to the year when a special event to remember people who died while homeless is no longer necessary.

The Annual Homeless March and Memorial is sponsored by Simpson Housing Services, Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless and the Shelter Providers Action Association.

For a moving piece on some who have passed in the last year, visit this Star-Tribune article by Jon Tevlin.

Our calls on the National Housing Trust Fund are working … one final push?

It looks like the House is putting the $1 billion for the NHTF and $65 million for project-based vouchers in the Defense Appropriations bill (HR 3326).  This is great news!  Thanks to everyone who made calls a little over a week ago.

However, uncertainty remains about what the Senate will do.  The Minnesota Federal Housing Action Coalition supports the inclusion of $1 billion for the NHTF in the compatible Senate bill.

Today (December 14th) Senator Franken voiced his support such action!

Please call Senator Amy Klobuchar 202-224-3244 and ask her to offer similar support:  include NHTF money in HR 3326.

And, if you have the opportunity, call Senator Al Franken 202-224-5641 and thank him for his support!

Part 3: People all around Minnesota are calling Congress to support the National Housing Trust Fund

Allen in Congressman Oberstar's District: This is important. I made the call and then got others around me to do so.

"I called Representative McCollum because I believe that affordable housing is the linchpin to a stable community. My neighbors cannot afford to purchase food, get child care, and be productive members of society if they cannot afford the home or apartment that they live in. The National Housing Trust Fund not only provides additional affordable housing, but also creates jobs in the process. I believe that we are all connected; I cannot succeed if others in my neighborhood cannot. I am proud of Congresswoman McCollum's previous work, and I hope she will vocally support this funding."

Will the rest of Minnesota’s Congressional Delegation join Senator Franken in funding the National Housing Trust Fund?

Please call your Minnesota representative and Senator Klobuchar on December 1 or 2. Find out who represents you by visiting this link. Tell them you want at least $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund before Congress adjourns later in December. Urge them to support any bill moving through the House or Senate that contains money for the NHTF.

Let them know that providing money for the NHTF will create needed jobs. A $1 billion investment in the NHTF at $100,000 per unit of housing will create 15,100 construction jobs and 3,800 jobs in ongoing operations. Also, the NHTF will support local economies as low income families can afford to spend more money on goods and services when they are not spending half or more of their income on housing.

Our goal is to create an early-December blizzard of phone calls from all over in a compressed period of time to demonstrate strong and urgent support for an initial infusion of money for the NHTF. Please pass this message on to your networks.

877-210-5351 is the toll free number for the congressional switchboard. Ask to be connected to the housing staffer for your representative’s and senators’ offices.

REPORT ON PROGRESS: Senator Franken has already signed on to legislation funding the Trust Fund. First, thank him! Second, ask him to support other bills that would accomplish the same thing.