Hearth Connection

11/04/2020

Our fall newsletter is here! It includes a link to Hearth Connection's 2019 annual report, which is fully virtual this year and available on our website: https://www.hearthconnection.org/2019-annual-report/

Read more at the link to our newsletter below!

https://mailchi.mp/472ee8e85f08/spring-2020-news-7998205

Hearth Connection was incorporated in 1999 to implement the Supportive Housing and Managed Care Pilot. Launched by a group of advocates, government stakeholders and community partners, the Pilot represented a new, cross-sectorial approach to serving people with long histories of homelessness who fac...

07/20/2020

Action alert!

The legislature is in its second special session negotiating a bonding bill, and they need to hear from you!

Lawmakers must prioritize housing and homeless shelters now. We need:

- $25 million for shelters across the state
- $200 million in Housing Infrastructure Bonds (HIB)
- $100 million in General Obligation (GO) Bonds for public housing
- $4 million annually for homeownership in the tax provision

HIB bonds are the best tool to create new homes for some of our lowest-wage workers, GO bonds are critical to maintaining homes for extremely low-income households, and an investment to shelter will expand/preserve homeless shelters across MN.

Follow the link to send a message to lawmakers letting them know that you support bonds for housing: https://bit.ly/3eLQXxd

07/13/2020

Gov. Walz's moratorium on evictions expires today, but help is available for people struggling to pay their rent due to the effects of COVID-19.

Residents of Hennepin County can apply for low-barrier rental assistance funding. Residents will never be asked for their immigration status and funding can be used to pay both current and past due rent and utility costs. To find out more and apply, visit www.hennepin.us/rent-help.

Residents of Olmsted County who meet certain criteria can also apply for COVID-19 rental assistance funding by emailing [email protected].

For an overview of these and other programs to help renters affected by COVID-19 in Minnesota, see https://www.housinglink.org/HousingResources/covid-19-resources-for-renters

See COVID-19 resources for renters.

07/01/2020

Hearth Connection's Summer 2020 news is here! Follow the link to read a letter from our executive director, get tips on working from home from Northeastern Regional Manager David O'Leary, and find out about an RFP for government relations services.

Lobbyist Request for Proposals Hearth Connection is requesting proposals for government relations services from lobbying professionals with the necessary skills and experience to execute an effective government relations program. For more information, visit our website.

05/27/2020

We hold our community in our hearts today. Many of us are experiencing trauma after being confronted, yet again, by the racism and injustice that courses through the systems of our society. We are with you, we support you and we stand in solidarity beside you.

George Floyd, 1973-2020.

Artwork via ACLU-MN.org, by local artist Andres Guzman (IG: ).

05/06/2020

Great profile of our Crisis Housing Fund Coordinator, Nellie Bruce! Congratulations on graduating, Nellie! We're so grateful for the work you do here at Hearth.

We at the The Human Rights Program are incredibly proud of our graduating Master of Human Rights Class of 2020! We would like to acknowledge these wonderful students and their important work.

Our first post goes out to Nellie Bruce. Prior to starting the MHR degree, Nellie worked at Minnesota Housing Partnership, an affordable housing advocacy nonprofit, where she promoted community and homelessness development initiatives in rural and tribal communities in Minnesota and across the US. Her concentration within the Master of Human Rights is in public health, with her primary interests lying in public needs access and poverty as a human rights issue. During her time at the University of Minnesota, Nellie has worked closely with the Minnesota Department of Human Services administering Crisis Housing Assistance for those entering chemical dependency or mental health treatment. Nellie’s final professional paper “You Take Care of Your Own: A Human Rights Analysis of HUD's "Mixed Status" Proposal" focused on the human rights effects of a potential federal housing rule which requires those who receive housing assistance to declare the immigration status of everyone who lives in their home.

"One of my favorite things about the MHR program was getting to know so many students interested in using their careers to serve--each MHR student brings their own incredibly unique viewpoint, and they've taught me more than any class."

After graduation Nellie will maintain her position with Hearth Connection as the Crisis Housing Coordinator working as an advocate for Minnesota's most vulnerable populations, particularly those rural citizens affected by the Opioid Crisis. Congratulations, Nellie! We wish you all the best in your future work.

You can find Nellie’s Linkedin here: www.linkedin.com/in/helenabruce.

College of Liberal Arts | University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs

03/25/2020

Our spring newsletter is here! Click on the link below to read a letter from our executive director, hear about a visit to a resource center run by Matrix Housing Services, and get an overview of our advocacy work with Homes for All - MN:

Advocacy The 2020 legislative session is underway and Hearth Connection is joining our partners in calling for renewed investments in Minnesota's homelessness response system. 2020 is a bonding year at the Minnesota Legislature, which means the focus of the session is on bills funding state and l...

03/23/2020

Good job, Hennepin County!

One hundred thirty people experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County have voluntarily moved into separate living quarters in hotels just four days after the county board unanimously approved spending $3 million on isolation and quarantine spaces.

03/02/2020

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) was enacted in 1977 to prevent red-lining and other discriminatory financial practices against low-income communities by requiring banks to provide affordable mortgages, small business loans and other financial services to low- and moderate-income people in the communities they serve.

There is a proposal to amend the CRA to loosen its oversight of banks. Not only would these changes reduce the incentive for banks to provide services to low-income communities, they could impact investments in affordable housing.

Federal agencies are required to consider public comments before issuing any changes to agency rules, so submitting a comment is an easy and effective way to make your voice heard on this issue. Comments are due by April 8, 2020. You can help protect crucial financial access for marginalized communities!

Please read more from our friends at Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers about how to submit a comment to save the CRA:

MCCD is an association of nonprofit community development organizations committed to expanding the wealth and resources of neighborhoods through housing and economic development initiatives.

01/21/2020

The PIT count is tomorrow! Can you help?

Every year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires communities to go out on a given night and count the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, meaning sheltering in places not meant for human habitation and doubling up or couch-hopping with friends and family. This point-in-time (PIT) count helps communities understand the scope of homelessness and provides data to determine how federal and local housing resources should be allocated. The count is facilitated by trained volunteers in various locations and will happen this year on the night of Wednesday, January 22nd.

It's not too late to volunteer to help with the PIT count! Follow the link to sign up for a volunteer slot with the Anoka County PIT count below:

Thank you for volunteering for the 2020 Point-In-Time count.  HUD asks communities each year to gather information on all the homeless people on a given night the last 10 days in January.  The 2020 Point-In-Time count is set for Wednesday, January 22, 2020.  Volunteers, like yourselves, will fan...

12/18/2019

Our Winter 2019 newsletter is out and you can read it here! Follow the link to read about new staff, recaps of Hearth's work around Minnesota and more. https://mailchi.mp/85e6cbb24c56/winter-2019-news

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