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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
With Election Day this Tuesday, November 5, I don't want to bury the lede. If you haven't had a chance to vote early, please take a moment to make a vote plan.
In this newsletter you'll also find:
- News! Coverage on Hennepin County effectively ends veteran homelessness
- Donation information for victims of the Metro Inn fire
- Details on the groundbreaking of Mikwanedun Audisookon, a new center for culture, arts, and wellness being built in partnership with the Indigenous Peoples Task Force
- Information on Hennepin County's plans for a new crisis stabilization center for youth
- A survey opportunity for Hennepin County's Toward Zero Deaths for county roads action plan
- A summary of the adopted Solid Waste Management plan, and;
- Composting sites for your Halloween pumpkins
My best,
Election Day is November 5, now is the best time to take a few steps to make your voting experience as smooth as possible.
Dates and times to keep in mind:
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November 4: In-person absentee voting closes at 5 p.m.
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November 5: General Election Day (polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
CBS News: Hennepin County's election director announces what you can expect on election night.
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The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Department of Veterans Affairs have confirmed that the Hennepin County Continuum of Care has effectively ended homelessness among veterans in our community. This formally recognizes that veterans experiencing homelessness are being quickly identified, sheltered and rehoused through a robust homeless response system that meets all Federal benchmarks for effectively ending veteran homelessness.
Hennepin County and our partners have implemented systems to ensure that veteran homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring. Effectively ending veteran homelessness does not mean veterans do not experience homelessness, but when veterans do experience homelessness, our system is prepared to quickly respond and move people back into permanent housing in less than 90 days on average.
Read more:
Star Tribune: Hennepin County says it has 'effectively ended' homelessness among veterans
MPR News: Hennepin County achieves 'functional zero' status in ending veteran homelessness
National non-profit Invisible People highlights Hennepin County’s work on homelessness and affordable housing
Hennepin County is facing a housing crisis. And yet, together with our partners, we’re making progress toward our goal of making homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring.
The national nonprofit Invisible People chose to highlight Hennepin County as a follow-up to their popular video on Finland’s work to end homelessness. Hennepin County’s model of prevention and support involves a communitywide system that prioritizes people and their unique needs and strengths.
The documentary showcases the firsthand stories of county residents and staff as they navigate the difficult road to safe, affordable housing.
Invisible People was founded by Mark Horvath, a documentarian who has experienced homelessness himself. Horvath began interviewing homeless people in 2008 and sharing their experiences on his YouTube channel. Since then, his videos have been viewed millions of times, making Horvath a defining voice in reshaping the public narrative around homelessness.
 People can drop off donations at the Washburn Library reference desk. Washburn Library is located at 5244 Lyndale Ave. S and its hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday noon-8 p.m.
Southwest Voices: Donations for Lyndale fire being collected at Washburn Library
The Indigenous Peoples Task Force (IPTF) celebrated a groundbreaking Oct. 16 for its new center for culture, arts and wellness called Mikwanedun Audisookon, which translates to “remember our teachings” in Ojibwe.
Once built, the new center in the Phillips neighborhood of south Minneapolis will feature a community café and commercial kitchen that will serve food grown in gardens surrounding the building and a new black box theater for youth-led performances.
Hennepin County is proud to have supported Mikwanedun Audisookon with a $750,000 Community Investment Initiative award. The initiative was created to advance economic recovery and increase long-term economic opportunity in Hennepin County communities most significantly impacted by the pandemic.
The Hennepin County Board approved two immediate actions to address the acute gap in services for youth with the most complex behavioral health needs.
These needs overwhelm families, community providers, and even local hospitals. The gaps and barriers of the current system disproportionately impact youth and families of color, and leaving youth in unfit settings causes more harm. More work is needed in Minnesota to address these challenges.
Hennepin County will develop a regional youth crisis stabilization center at our Behavioral Health Center, 1800 Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis.
Residential crisis stabilization services fill an important gap for youth who cannot remain safely at home, offering treatment and therapeutic supports for youth while triage, assessment, and planning take place with families.
Earlier in October, Hennepin County established a regional workgroup to addressing placement options for youth with complex needs, with recommendations due to the county board in early 2025.
The board’s recent actions accelerate the county’s momentum on work already underway in recent years. Hennepin County has a vital role in addressing children’s mental health and keeping youth, their families, and the community safe. In recent years, we have invested at every level of the mental health continuum – early intervention, crisis response, and deep-end services – to serve more youth and families and achieve better outcomes for all.
Hennepin County is developing a comprehensive plan to eliminate serious injuries and deaths along Hennepin County roads. Now through the end of fall, we are engaging with residents to gather feedback as we develop a plan to improve safety for all people walking, riding, rolling, using transit or driving.
There are two ways you can share your feedback using BeHeard Hennepin
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners has adopted the 2024 – 2029 Hennepin County Solid Waste Management Plan (PDF).
With the completion of this plan, the county has concluded a significant effort in solid waste planning that began with the Climate Action Plan in 2021, the creation of the Zero Waste Plan in 2023, a prioritization of the highest impact zero-waste actions in the Plan to Reinvent Hennepin County’s Solid Waste System in early 2024, and the development of the county’s required Solid Waste Management Plan based on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Metro Policy Plan. These plans were developed with feedback from more than 2,300 participants.
The county’s waste reduction and recycling staff will now fully focus on implementing the various plans’ actions. The success of these plans will be determined by the level of systemic change made, including:
- Ability for counties, cities, agencies, and environmental advocates to align efforts
- State leadership on zero-waste policies
- Funding and infrastructure development that matches the scope of the challenges and the ambition of the goals
- Actions by businesses and residents to make zero waste a reality
The county’s investments and making progress on systemic changes will result in a circular economy, ensure an equitable system, and achieve climate and zero-waste goals. Learn more at BeHeardHennepin.org/solid-waste-plan.
When you clean up from Halloween, don’t let your pumpkins go to waste! Compost pumpkins by putting them in your organics recycling cart or bringing them to an organics recycling drop-off. Pumpkins are great fuel for compost, which is used to make soil and landscapes healthy. Before composting, remove all candles, candle wax, paint, and other decorations.
You can also check to see if your city is offering any special drop-off events. Here are a few upcoming events:
Pumpkin recycling at Brooklyn Park Central Park
November 1 through 10 at Central Park, 8440 Regent Avenue North, Brooklyn Park
This drop-off is open to Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, and New Hope residents.
Saturday, November 2 from 10 a.m. to noon at Veterans Park, 6335 Portland Avenue, Richfield
This event is open to Richfield residents.
Edina Pumpkin Smash and Bash
Saturday, November 2 from 10 a.m. to noon at Countryside Park, 6240 Tracy Avenue, Edina
This event is open to everyone!
Contact us
Marion Greene
Commissioner, 3rd District
612-348-7883
Elie Farhat
Principal Aide
612-348-7125
Laura Hoffman
District Aide
612-348-0863
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