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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The Hennepin County Community Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) is currently accepting Hennepin County residents applications for mini grants to address racial disparities in community mental wellbeing and housing stability. These grants will go to community members or small teams with local ideas and solutions. Applications are due Tuesday March 23 at 4 PM. Learn more, here.
A few more updates you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:
🏠 Shelter Tours: This week I toured a few shelters that partner with Hennepin County to connect residents experiencing homelessness with food, shelter, transitional housing, mental health, support services and more.
📺 A Conversation on Homelessness: I join Rhonda Otteson, Executive Director of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, for an important conversation about the intersections of homelessness and housing affordability. Our full conversation, here.
🏛 Excelsior City Council Meeting: This week I was grateful to spend time with Excelsior City Council members to provide an update on the work underway at Hennepin County, learn more about community priorities, and explore pathways for deeper partnership moving forward.
🎣 Ice Fishing Litter Prevention: I met with a group of University of Minnesota students to explore waste reduction ideas for Lake Minnetonka during ice fishing season.
I welcome you to use my office contact information below to get in touch.
In service,
Chris
 Pictured from left to right: Hennepin County Commissioner Chris LaTondresse, Harbor Light Executive Director Trish Thacker, Hennepin County Office to End Homelessness Director David Hewitt
Having a safe, reliable, and affordable place to call home is at the core of healthy families and ultimately healthy communities. That reality is too often out of reach for people experiencing homelessness.
This week, I was fortunate to visit a variety of shelters that partner with Hennepin County in connecting residents in need with food, shelter, transitional housing, mental health and support services.
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Hennepin County partners with People Serving People to provide a variety of medical services for children and adults at their onsite, walk-in clinic . |
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The Harbor Light Center is Minnesota's largest homeless adult outreach facility. They provide emergency shelter and connects people experiencing homelessness with support service.
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YouthLink connects youth experiencing homelessness with resources including education, work, and permanent housing support.
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 Pictured from left to right: Hennepin County Office to End Homelessness Director David Hewitt, YouthLink Voices of Youth Chair Quincy Powe, Hennepin County Commissioner Chris LaTondresse, YouthLink Overnight Youth Advocate Johnnie Robinson
Hennepin County has built deep partnerships with these shelters to help residents in their moments of greatest need and help them exit the shelter system through critical support services that set them up for a hopeful future.
A special thank you to People Serving People, Harbor Light Center, and YouthLink for letting me tour your facilities and see up front the inspiring and hard work you do every day to uplift and support people.
Housing instability and unsheltered homelessness doesn't only hurt those that are housing insecure, it hurts entire communities. As Chair of the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, creating pathways for permanent, reliable, and affordable housing is one of my top priorities.
I joined Rhonda Otteson, Executive Director of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, for an important conversation about the intersections of homelessness and housing affordability. Incredibly grateful for their going work at all levels through their advocacy.
Our full conversation, here.
The Hennepin County Community Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) invites residents living in Hennepin County to apply for a mini grant of $250 to $500 to address racial disparities in community mental wellbeing and housing stability. A total of $3,000 is currently available.
People representing communities of color or indigenous populations are strongly encouraged to apply. These mini grants will go to individual community members or small teams with local ideas and solutions to improve mental well-being and housing stability in your communities. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, virtual or other engagement and communication methods that follow the Minnesota Department of Health guidelines must be utilized.
Applications are due Tuesday March 23, 2021 at 4 PM.
Eligible areas of focus include:
- A creative solution related to stress and trauma happening in your community right now
- Creative support to a need in your spiritual, faith or cultural community
- A creative solution to needs people have in your community as they struggle to pay rent, buy food and other necessities
- A creative solution to increase social connectedness in your apartment building or housing complex as we continue “social distancing” in 2021
Learn more, here.
This week I was grateful to spend time with Excelsior City Council members to provide an update on the work underway at Hennepin County, learn more about community priorities, and explore pathways for deeper partnership moving forward. I am incredibly grateful for all of the ways they are stepping up to serve our community.
 By Caroline Cummins, WCCO
The bill sends $350 billion in state and local aid to help states, counties, cities and tribal governments cover expenses and lost revenue due to the pandemic.
Access the full story, here.
Lake ice continues to melt with Spring approaching and there is a concern among University of Minnesota Twin Cities students of leftover waste from the ice fishing season contaminating Lake Minnetonka. This weekend I had the opportunity to meet with a group of students to explore waste reduction ideas during ice fishing season.
Driven by their research, these students are advocating for increased education around littering and preventative signage at access points, and an annual winter cleanup day to prevent this waste from entering Lake Minnetonka. I’m grateful for their advocacy and join them in advocating for the health of our lakes.
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners consists of one commissioner from each of seven districts. I am proud to represent Deephaven, north Eden Prairie, Edina, Excelsior, Greenwood, Hopkins, Long Lake, Minnetonka, Minnetonka Beach, northern Mound, Orono, Shorewood, Spring Park, Tonka Bay, Wayzata and Woodland.
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Chris LaTondresse
Commissioner
6th District
612-348-7886
Jessica Oaxaca
District Director
612-348-6885
Kyle Olson
Policy Director
612-348-3168
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