Join Homes for All to kick off the 2020 Minnesota State Legislative Session in a city near you! Kickoff events will take place in Moorhead, St. Peter, and the Twin Cities.

At each event, we’ll rally around the importance of housing and home for ALL Minnesotans. We’ll hear from folks who have experienced homelessness and housing insecurity. We’ll learn about the affordable housing crisis in Minnesota. And we’ll get fired up to ask our lawmakers to put housing front and center on their legislative agenda with our biggest ask yet: $500 million in bonds for affordable housing.

If you plan on attending any of the kickoff events, please register here. 

Saturday, February 1, 2020 | Kick-Off in Moorhead
10:00am to 12:00 pm
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
4000 28th St. S, Moorhead, MN 56560
Program: Welcome; stories from folks who have experienced homelessness; panel conversation with service providers.
Parking: Free parking is available in the church lot, which can be accessed by 40th Ave S or 28th St. S.
Register for Moorhead Kick-Off
See the Facebook event page

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 | Kick-Off in St. Peter
6:00pm to 7:30pm
St. Peter Area Food Shelf
201 S 3rd St, St Peter, MN 56082
Program: Begins at 6:00pm with interactive conversations.
Parking: There is a parking lot behind the building, as well as street parking nearby.
Register for St. Peter Kick-Off 
See the Facebook event page 

Tuesday, February 18, 2020 | Twin Cities Kick-Off Event
4:00pm to 6:00pm
Catholic Charities Saint Paul Opportunity Center and Dorothy Day Residence
422 Dorothy Day Pl, St. Paul, MN 55102
Program: 4:00-5:00pm, Social Hour & Networking; 5:00-5:45pm, Lawmaker Awards, Advocate Stories, and the Presentation of 2020 Legislative Agenda & Events
Parking: Pay parking will be available in the Smith Avenue Ramp, Municipal Ramp 7A, or on the street. The location is easily accessible via public transportation.
Tours: From 3:30-4:00pm, Catholic Charities staff will lead brief tours of the services offered at the new Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Saint Paul Opportunity Center. RSVP Separately for a tour at the registration link.
Register for Twin Cities Kick-Off
See the Facebook event page

Advocates! We need you. Take action with us w/ a Twitterstorm on 11/20 from 12pm – 1pm. Find more details below. 

WHAT IS A TWITTERSTORM?

A Twitterstorm is simply a short period of time during which advocates join together to send a high volume of tweets on a specific topic. We will prepare tweets for you (found below) and you can copy and paste them throughout the hour, or schedule your tweets in advance. You can also create your own tweets and use the hashtags below to keep us together. Please retweet and “favorite” tweets as they are sent out, even if they are tweets you’ve posted already! 

GOAL

We want to encourage the Governor and Lt Governor to continue to make housing a priority and put $500M for the housing continuum in their bonding bill.

We’ll do this by:

• Favoriting, retweeting, and posting the prepared tweets for the full hour
• Using @GovTimWalz and @LtGovFlanagan in our tweets
• Using the following hashtags in your tweets: #Homes4AllMN; #mnleg; #Bonds4Housing

DETAILS

What: Twitterstorm to encourage the Governor and Lt Governor to put $500M for the housing continuum in the bonding bill. Find a list of sample tweets below, and always direct to our Action Alert: https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

When: Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Where: Twitter

Hashtags/Tags/Action Alert:  #Homes4AllMN #Bonds4Housing #mnleg @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/33ZOr1I

Who: YOU! Please join us and invite your followers/friends to join as well. 

SAMPLE TWEETS to Copy/Paste:

• As you create your bonding package, please prioritize housing and support $500M in #Bonds4Housing. Children learn, workers earn, seniors thrive, and communities prosper when everyone has a place to call home. #Homes4AllMN #mnleg @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• More than half a million Minnesota families pay more than they can afford for homes, and that number is continuing to grow. #Homes4AllMN #mnleg #Bonds4Housing @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• Homes for All is advocating for the housing continuum with our biggest bonding agenda yet — $500 million in #Bonds4Housing. #Homes4AllMN #mnleg #Bonds4Housing @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• Please be bold and support the continuum of safe and quality housing with $500 million in your bonding package. #Homes4AllMN #mnleg #Bonds4Housing @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• To make our communities strong, we need Homes for All. #Homes4AllMN #mnleg #Bonds4Housing @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• More than a quarter of Minnesota households pay more than they can afford for housing, and that number is growing. We need $500M in #Bonds4Housing to create and rehabilitate homes. #Homes4AllMN #mnleg #Bonds4Housing @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• We need your leadership for safe, affordable homes in Minnesota. Please support $500M in housing bonds. #Homes4AllMN #mnleg #Bonds4Housing @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• State bonding is a vital tool that provides housing across the state, while also creating jobs, economic development, and stability for our most vulnerable populations, including seniors, children, & those with disabilities.  #Homes4AllMN #Bonds4Housing @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• There isn’t one kind of housing that fits the needs of every Minnesotan. Bonding resources create new & preserve existing rental homes, make improvements to public housing, & promote homeownership. Please support $500M in #Bonds4Housing. #Homes4AllMN @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• Bonding improves lives and strengthens communities. Please support $500M in #Bonds4Housing. #Homes4AllMN #mnleg @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• BONDS FOR HOMES: build healthy communities & strong economies with Homes for All’s $500M request.  #Homes4AllMN #Bonds4Housing #mnleg @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• State bonding can help Minnesota’s workers afford to live in the communities they help create and continue to grow MN’s economy. Please support $500M in #Bonds4Housing, @GovTimWalz & @LtGovFlanagan. #mnleg #Homes4AllMN https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• Bonds for housing will help close the racial disparity gap between wages and rents for people of color, which has worsened in MN since 2000. #Homes4AllMN #mnleg #Bonds4Housing @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• We need #Bonds4Housing to repair and preserve MN’s public housing, so residents can live safely and with dignity. #mnleg #Homes4AllMN @GovTimWalz @LtGovFlanagan https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

• Among all homeless adults interviewed by @WilderFdtn in its 2018 MN Homelessness Study, 50% were on a subsidized housing waiting list. Please support $500M in #Bonds4Housing, @GovTimWalz & @LtGovFlanagan. #mnleg #Homes4AllMN https://bit.ly/32VmI0Q

Cross-posted from Homes for All endorsing organization Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis

“Dorothy Day Place represents a new model for preventing and ending homelessness – integrating dignified emergency shelter, permanent homes and services in one place. The historic public-private partnership behind Dorothy Day Place should serve as inspiration for what can be done to address the housing crisis we face. This is not the end of something – it is just the beginning of a new way of working together to solve our toughest challenges.”

– Tim Marx, president and CEO of Catholic Charities

On October 23, Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis marked the completion of Dorothy Day Place, an integrated two-building campus designed to prevent and end homelessness by focusing on three components: dignified shelter, permanent homes and dedicated services that will create pathways to opportunities. This innovative new vision is the largest public-private partnership in housing and social services in Minnesota history. Dorothy Day Place has received broad, cross-sector support and was funded by an historic $100 million public-private capital campaign.

More than a shelter

Higher Ground Saint Paul, which opened in January 2017, is the first phase of Dorothy Day Place followed by the newly-completed Dorothy Day Residence and Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Saint Paul Opportunity Center. Each night, Higher Ground Saint Paul offers more than 500 people experiencing homelessness permanent homes, dignified shelter and pathways to opportunities. On the first floor, you will see separate, dignified shelters for 356 men and women. These bright and open spaces include semi-private bunk beds with electrical outlets, space for personal belongings and bed linens.

In a separate wing, women with severe alcohol and other substance use disorders have permanent homes and access to adequate support services for their specific needs. Up the stairs, a Pay-for-Stay shelter provides beds with minimal fees for men who are working. These fees are held in savings for clients to be used towards a first month’s rent or down payment to a landlord.

The second floor also houses an innovative medical respite program to provide medical care for homeless men and women with significant health issues as well as a room of their own where they can heal under the care of nurses. This program is funded by a unique partnership between three area hospitals: United Hospital (Allina Health), Regions Hospital (HealthPartners), and Saint Joseph’s Hospital (Fairview).

The top three floors of the building provide permanent homes for 193 men and women who were formerly homeless. Each resident has a room, and each floor includes shared kitchens, bathrooms and social spaces.

A complete campus to serve those most in need

The Saint Paul Opportunity Center and Dorothy Day Residence is located across the street from Higher Ground Saint Paul. Dorothy Day Residence will provide an additional 177 units of housing and resources for those at risk of becoming homeless or those working to move up and out of homelessness. The Saint Paul Opportunity Center is an integrated, one-stop location connecting people to critical services to improve their health, income, housing stability and well-being.

Homes for All is going BIGGER and bolder and requesting $500M in bonds for housing in 2020. As the Governor and Lt Governor create their bonding package, we want them to go big for housing too. Find an action alert below and TAKE ACTION with us today!

Goal: Please call and/or email Governor Walz urging him to prioritize housing in his bonding bill.

Date: Thursday 11/07/2019
Time: All day!

Contact Information: 
Who: Governor Walz
Phone Number: 651-201-3400
E-mail: Here is the link to send a message — https://mn.gov/governor/contact/

Please let Matt know when you’ve made your calls/sent your emails: matt@mnhomelesscoalition.org 

  Here is a script to guide your calls:   

Hi, my name is [your name] and I live in [your county or city]. I am calling as a member of Homes for All.

As you create your bonding package, please prioritize housing. More than half a million Minnesota families pay more than they can afford for homes, and that number is continuing to grow. That is one reason Homes for All is advocating for the housing continuum with our biggest bonding agenda yet — $500Million in #Bonds4Housing. Please be bold and support safe and quality housing with your bonding package. 

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Join us for a webinar to learn more about Homes for All and how we advance policies to address the full continuum of Minnesota’s housing needs and ensure housing stability for all. Each of our teams–Policy, Communications and Community Engagement–will give an overview of their work and offer ways you and your organization can get involved–or more involved!–with Homes for All.

When: Thursday, November 15, 2019

Where: Your computer! Click here to register

Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm

RSVP today! Click here!