September Updates
Testifying for Safe and Dignified Housing
On August 24th and with the support of the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, organizers Jimmy and Angela testified in front of the Minnesota State Board of Investment (MSBI) for safe and dignified housing. The MSBI invests in companies that fund the parent company of Progress Residential.
As Jimmy - a Progress tenant and organizer - shared, “Even though I took my landlord, Progress Residential, to court for repairs in the last few months, I am still struggling to get current repairs in my home.” He added, “I am tired, I don’t feel like I am being treated like a customer. I am paying to keep a roof over my head, but the issues are not being addressed.”
Since February, EIGHT renters living in Progress Residential/HavenBrook Homes sued their landlord for a myriad of issues, including long-standing repairs that have persisted for years. Addressing the MSBI, Jimmy asked, “What can you do to make sure the company meets with us and addresses our ongoing concerns?”
Creating a Member-Led Cooperative
Alongside the official start of fall, you can find residents of Sky Without Limits laughing together in the garden, on the stoop, and around the table. They speak multiple languages, communicating with phones, gestures, and knowing looks. Children - who know only the Cooperative and its community - play hide and seek, bounding out behind corners. The Cooperative is more than just five buildings. It’s a multi-racial, multicultural, multi-generational community of primarily low-income tenants who are creating a new vision of home.
To ensure the Cooperative exists for future generations, organizers and members continue to navigate the legal and financial structures necessary to achieve a Cooperative that is member-owned and led. We’re working with two development consultants - Mahoney Real Estate Consulting and NASCO (North American Students of Cooperation) - to create a strong foundation. Mahoney is wrangling numbers and identifying our financing needs so that our committees can make informed financial decisions. NASCO is training members on cooperative governance so that members feel clear on their roles and responsibilities.
After Almost a Year of Requesting the Same Repairs and a Respectful Rent, Tenants at 3100 Bloomington Experience the Fruit of Their Struggle and Unity
After meeting with their landlord, going on rent strike, and placing their rent into escrow, tenants at 3100 Bloomington are experiencing real conversations and a path toward solutions. The courts scheduled a mediation session at the end of October between the tenants and the owner of their building, Matthew Brunnette. Since last winter, tenants have been calling for the same thing: That Matthew Brunnette replace security doors in the building (not just locks), charge fair and respectful rent, make necessary repairs, and meet with the tenants to discuss how to ensure safety in their homes.
Tenant leaders across campaigns also continue to meet as Seeds of Hope. They determine what is necessary to achieve a strong rent stabilization policy and to ensure that their suggestions are included in the rent stabilization work group.
Rent Stabilization Work Group Meets and Home To Stay Calls for Strong Policy
At the Minneapolis Central Library on September 13th, the City-approved rent stabilization work group met for the first time to begin drafting a rent stabilization policy. Before the meeting, members of the Home To Stay Minneapolis coalition highlighted the urgent need to center renters in the workgroup process, respect the will of the voters, and craft a strong, timely policy.
Jimmy, an organizer and renter of Progress Residential, highlighted the importance of renters having a real voice in the group. “As a northside renter, the risks I have taken to stand up for my rights show me that me and my family are not the only ones affected. Placing limits on price increases will not only help me but be the start of healing the community. The city needs to make sure the process and policy are fair to everyone, especially renters. If you don’t take the risks, you can’t create a future.”
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