CALL TO ACTION: Keep Public Housing Public & Hold MPHA Accountable During COVID 19

We have a letter campaign to our elected officials asking them to Stop Section 18 & RAD, demand MPHA cancels rent during #COVID19 & provide vacant units to houseless people, fully funds Section 8 vouchers and deep cleans all the units including scattered-sites single-family homes, while providing protective gear for maintenance staff. Please share & sign, together we can protect public housing: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/keep-public-housing-public-hold-mpha-accountable-during-covid-19?source=direct_link&

From: Keep Public Housing Public Minneapolis Coalition 

Recipients: Governor Tim Walz, Lt. Governor Flanagan, Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis City Council, Minnesota House & Senate Legislators, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and US Rep. Ilhan Omar 

We’re in the midst of a public health crisis, and vulnerable elders, people with disabilities, and families are at increased risk. Our elected officials must hold the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) accountable during the COVID-19 by demanding they:

  • Cancel rents for all public housing residents
  • Stop Section 18 Demolition & Disposition at single-family homes ( scattered sites)  and Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversions at Elliot Twins until there are public, transparent community meetings with public housing residents, the MPHA Board, elected officials, residents of Minneapolis, housing advocates and the Keep Public Housing Public Minneapolis Coalition where MPHA can answer questions about the MPHA’s messages, policies, and contradictions at Elliot Twins and the  scattered-sites   
  • Fully fund all Section 8 vouchers 
  • Open vacant units to those experiencing homelessness 
  • Deep clean all public housing properties and scattered sites to reduce risk to residents and give proper Personal Protective Equipment to maintenance staff 

Background:  Low income and poor people, elders and seniors, people with disabilities, public housing residents (including Sections 8 and Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) vouchers holders) are most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis. 

  • Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) has failed to cancel rents especially for public housing residents who are unemployed or lost income while other public housing authorities created a protocol to stop payments for their residents. It is not enough for MPHA to just lower rents– we need a full cancellation. 
  • MPHA failed to hold community meetings that were well attended before the pandemic to explain the Section 18 Demolition & Disposition privatization program that is risking the homes of over 740 low income/poor families that live in single-family public homes (AKA scattered-sites) throughout Minneapolis. 
  • MPHA failed to explain the new leases or addendums to approve Section 18. On 2/27/2020 and 2/29/2020 scattered-site residents held tenant meetings and wrote to MPHA and elected officials, stating that they continue to face intimidation and threats if they don’t sign new leases and addendums that they don’t understand. 
  • https://nncmpls.org/ wrote a letter to MPHA Commissioners asking to pause Section 18 and hold community meetings after the pandemic https://tinyurl.com/NNC-Letter-to-MPHA-3-20-20). There was no response. 
  • On March 18, MPHA https://tinyurl.com/MPHA-closed-after-3-18-2020 to city-wide public housing residents, announcing MPHA offices will be closing due to COVID-19 Pandemic.
  • On March 19, MPHA https://tinyurl.com/RAD-at-ElliotTwins-June1-2020 to Elliot Twins residents, stating that privatization and conversion of Elliot Twins through RAD/low-income housing tax credit will start June 1, 2020, and a company called Elliots LP will take over the buildings. In the letter, MPHA stated no one will have to move unless they chose to.
  • The 174 units at Elliot Twins are 100% public housing on public land (aka Section 9 Housing) and under the Declaration of Trust (DOT). The majority of residents are elders/seniors on Social Security with a fixed-income of $750 a month and pay 30% of their income ($225 per month) for rent. Elliot Twins residents are below 10% of Area Median Income (AMI). According to MPHA’s RAD financial document for Elliot Twins https://tinyurl.com/Elliot-RADConversion-Overview states on pg.2, MPHA is using Area Median Income (AMI), and only 10% of the residents (19 units) that make 30% of AMI or below may be able to move back. 5% of units (10 units) will be for those earning (61% to 80% AMI) and 84% of units (155 units) will be 60% AMI. This means over 90% of the current Elliot Twins seniors and disabled residents could be displaced.  When MPHA was called out, MPHA sends these tweets https://tinyurl.com/MPHA-s-Contradictions that says they are not using AMI. MPHA continues to send contradicting messages. MPHA again fails to be transparent and notify Elliot Twins residents of this important information. This is especially concerning in the midst a global pandemic and public health emergency.