Dear Allies:
The below letter went out to all the scattered-site residents. MPHA Commissioners such as Tessa Wetjen said to allies who asked her to stop Section 18 conversion that nothing is going to change to the 717 public housing single-family homes that have been privatized through Section18 and turned in to Section 8 project-based. All of the Commissioners and staff of MPHA continued to verbally state to public housing residents that MPHA as a public agency will have full control of ownership and management. But now this letter sent by MPHA says otherwise. This letter threatens scattered-site residents of eviction after December 31,2020, if rents are not paid in full, MPHA has no control over the properties, and they are not owners. MPHA says in this letter that if residents are displaced and evicted, they need to take it up with a new owner, and they sent with the letter a list of sources to get financial help that doesn’t work.
MPHA makes it clear in this letter that the new owner with the support of MPHA is still going to evict scattered-site residents after December 31, 2020, and residents will lose their Section 8 vouchers. MPHA is doing this in a middle of a COVID19 pandemic where many residents have lost income and have increasing utilities due to kids staying home for distance learning, while MPHA blocks residents from getting help from the Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County to pay their heating and electric bills. As MPHA puts on a lobbying and pr campaign as the good guys, they continue to threaten residents with evictions and finally admit that there is a new owner of 717 single-family homes that have been privatized through Section 18. It is clear that MPHA wants to empty the homes so they can build with their developers and the city the luxury buildings under the guidance of the 2040 plan. For anyone who was doubting MPHA and the City’s plans, this is what Section 18 conversion and displacement looks like.
To MPHA Executive Director, Deputy Director, and Commissioners:
1. Who is the new owner?
2. Explain why you won’t answer questions about this in public meetings or in writing? What are you hiding?
3. Where is the translation for other languages for this letter?
4. How long do you think lying to the public will work?
To the elected officials on this email:
Who is responsible for MPHA?
Who will hold MPHA accountable?
In addition, during the virtual public hearing on November 18, Executive Director Abdi Warsame, Deputy Director Jennifer Keogh, Jeff Horwich, Commissioners Cara Letofsky, James Rosenbaum, Mikkel Beckmen, Tessa Wetjen, and Chair Sharmarke Issa looked like they did not want public housing residents to be there or to speak of the oppression, discrimination, and intimidation from MPHA. Residents and allies were not allowed to ask questions. The Commissioners looked like they were way too fragile to hear the truth and the damage MPHA causes on innocent vulnerable residents.
https://www.facebook.com/DefendGlendale/posts/1916837118482136
