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From Ward 5 Minneapolis City Council Member, Jeremiah Ellison.
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. I want to take a moment to remind myself and my community that we are never alone in our struggles.
It's okay to not be okay, and it's vital to ask for help when we need it. Whether it's reaching out to a friend, seeking professional guidance, or exploring support groups, there are resources available to lend a hand on the journey to mental well-being. Together, let's break the stigma surrounding mental health and foster a culture of compassion and understanding.
Here are a few resources to explore:
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Behavioral Crisis Response (BCR)
- This resource is provided free of charge for Minneapolis residents.
- The services provides:
- Crisis intervention,
- Counseling, and
- Referrals and connection to support services.
- These types of crisis include:
- Inability to perform daily tasks,
- Out-of-control mood swings,
- Loss of touch with reality, and
- Paranoia.
- If you need BCR to respond to your location, call 911.
- To request BCR response to a non-emergency, call 612-348-2345.
- Mental Health - City of Minneapolis
Join me from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM every Monday for Open Coffee Hours! These are informal and a chance for me to hear directly from you while we share coffee or a meal (virtually).
Office hours is on a first come first served basis. Please try not to call in past 12:50 p.m. as we want to leave enough time to chat about what you'd like to discuss.
Please RSVP here and my staff will follow-up with the call-in details. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to Dieu Do, Policy Associate, at dieu.do@minneapolismn.gov.
At the corn shucking contest at the "Farm to School" Community BBQ, I high-fived my awesome partner. We came in 4th place!
"Bernadette Anderson Way" Commemorative Sign Block Party
I had a blast celebrating the legacy of Bernadette Anderson as we installed commemorative street signs to honor her name and work. Bernadette Anderson, affectionately known as "Bernie" and "Momma Bernadette" considered by some “the mother of The Minneapolis Sound”. She spent decades mentoring and supporting Northside youth, and fought against racism in education, housing, employment, and health care.
Jellybean Johnson, founder of the Minneapolis Sound Museum, was one of the many adolescents impacted by Anderson back in the day. He confided, “I looked at this woman as a mother figure. I want to say I think I called her Mom as that was what she was to us all, the neighborhood mom. That was the only way I saw her. She was the one person supporting all the neighborhood musicians around the North Side, and within her block on Russell and a few more blocks radius, she was the birthplace of the Minneapolis Sound without a doubt.”
I am honored to have been invited and shared this beautiful milestone with the community. Thank you so much for Mrs. Bernadette Anderson daughters for organizing this event for the Northside.
MPS "Farm to School" Community BBQ
The annual "Farm to School" Community BBQ that Minneapolis Public Schools hosts was an absolute success! From the fantastic food, to the talented live performances and speakers, all the way to (my personal favorite) the corn shucking contest, everything was so fun and educational for our students and families. Shoutout to our School Board Director Kim Ellison and State Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura (63A) for joining in on the corn-shucking fun and for their relentless advocacy for our students at the local and state level.
Thank you so much to all of the MPS staff and volunteers for organizing this incredible event and to our nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and community partners who tabled and shared resources and information with our neighbors.
Open Streets West Broadway
A little drizzle of rain doesn't stop the Northside from showing up and showing out at Open Streets West Broadway! It was amazing to connect with constituents, neighbors, friends, and community partners at Open Streets. Thank you so much to all of our staff, volunteers, and vendors who made this event happen.
Community members and I chatting at the "Bernadetter Anderson Way" Commemorative Sign Block Party.
Encampment Response Reporting Ordinance
At the most recent full-council meeting, the Minneapolis City Council voted 9-4 to an ordinance that requires standardized reporting on the costs and impacts of evicting encampments of unhoused residents. This ordinance requires the Mayor's administration to provide regular reports on the cost of evicting an encampment, the staff time utilized to evict an encampment, and the outcome of the unhoused residents after eviction. Thank you to Council Vice President Chughtai, Council Member Chavez, and Council Member Chowdhury for authoring this ordinance.
Eviction Pre-Notification Ordinance
At the most recent full-council meeting, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed the 30-day eviction pre-notification ordinance. This ordinance that increases the amount of time that a landlord must give a tenant before filing an eviction. The current policy is 14 days, and this ordinance would change it to 30 days. The ordinance only applies to residential tenants who are facing eviction from nonpayment of rent. It does not apply to commercial tenants or to residential tenants who are facing eviction due to non-financial matters such as safety or inappropriate use of the property. This ordinance will go into effect on March 1st, 2025.
Thank you so much to our authors Council President Payne, Council Member Chavez, and Council Member Chowdhury for championing this important housing policy.
Are you experiencing struggles with food insecurity, housing, career readiness, and legal matters? Are you in need of help? Please look below to see which resources can be beneficial to you.
Career Readiness
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Project for Pride in Living (PPL)
- PPL builds the hope, assets, and self-reliance of individuals and families who have lower incomes by providing transformative affordable housing and career readiness services.
Family Support & Educational Programming
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Way to Grow
- Way to Grow is a nonprofit organization on the Northside that provides free, year-round family support and educational programming for families in Minneapolis and in surrounding suburbs.
Food Insecurity
- EMERGE Youth-Led Food Shelf
- Days/Times: Weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays, & Wednesdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Location: ECTC, 1834 Emerson Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411.
- Free Dinner
- Days/Times: Weekly on Tuesdays at 6:00 PM
- Salem Lutheran Church, 4150 Dupont Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN
- Contact: 612-521-3644
- Haven Community Pantry
- Days/Times: Weekly on Wednesdays & Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Location: Sanctuary Covenant Church, 2018 Aldrich Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411
Free/Discounted Internet
Housing/Tenant Protections
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Home Line
- This organization provides free and low-cost legal, organizing, education, and advocacy services so that tenants throughout Minnesota can solve their own rental housing problems.
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United Renters for Justice/Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia
- United Renters for Justice/Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia is a base-building nonprofit working to transform the Minneapolis housing system.
Legal Representation
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Attorney General Keith Ellison's Office
- The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office appreciates hearing from members of the public. In many cases, they are able to provide direct assistance to people. Hearing from members of the public also alerts us to problems occurring in the marketplace.
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Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
- This organization provides free legal aid to people with low-income, disabilities, and seniors in 20 Central Minnesota counties. These services include, but are not limited to:
- Debt collection and unfair loans
- Disability-related cases
- Divorce and child custody
- Domestic violence
- Elder abuse
- Housing discrimination and evictions
- Immigration and citizenship
- IRS Tax Issues
Minneapolis 311
- Need to report an issue? Can't find the right information? Minneapolis 311 can help. 311 coordinates with City departments and service providers to report your concerns, find you information and connect you with nonemergency City services.
- There are many ways to get in contact with Minneapolis 311 for non-emergency information. Choose what's easiest for you.
- Call 311. Agents are here to answer your call 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 311 from within city limits or 612-673-3000.
- Email 311. You can email 311 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Agents will respond 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Text 311. You can text 311 a short question any time. Just text two or three keywords to 311TXT (311898) to receive an answer from the Minneapolis 311 information database on your mobile phone.
- Get the 311 mobile app. Report neighborhood issues on the 311 mobile app 24 hours a day.
- TTY. 311 agents use computer-based technology so hearing-impaired callers can easily communicate with the City using TDD/TTY devices. Call TTY 612-263-6850.
- Use the contact form. You can send 311 your comments or questions on the website contact form.
City of Minneapolis
The City of Minneapolis has a ton of job opportunities that span across multiple departments.
Recent Job Postings
Hennepin County
Hennepin County is the largest county in Minnesota and has a wide variety of job openings in different industries.
Recent Job Postings
Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities can be a great place to start to look for a new job/change in your career. Start by viewing the MN Council of Nonprofits Job Board here.
Recent Job Postings
State of Minnesota
The State of Minnesota is a great place to start your job search. Click here to view job openings in the state.
Matthew Hulstein (Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid attorney) and Patty Walton (Community Clinics Fellow) met with my staff, Bethany Turnwall and Dieu Do, about the new in-person legal clinic in Harrison.
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid has an in-person clinic in the Harrison neighborhood, offering free legal help! Legal Aid handles problems on this civil side (not criminal), including: housing, consumer, immigration, federal tax, public benefits, family law, and disability discrimination. Generally, clients must be Hennepin residents and be either lower income or aged 60+ (regardless of income).
Legal Clinic Details
- Days/Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Location: Harrison Neighborhood Association (HNA), 1501 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55405
- Walk-ins welcome/appointments preferred
- To schedule an appointment, call 612-352-9778. Residents can also call Legal Aid's central intake line: 1-877-696-6529 or visit www.mylegalaid.org.
- Patty Walton, pictured above in the yellow jacket, is a Community Clinics Fellow who is staffing the clinic in the Harrison Neighborhood.
Hennepin County HRA Homebuyer Assistance Program
Limited Funds Available: Check Page For Updates
The Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HCHRA) created the Homebuyer Assistance Program to reduce racial disparities in homeownership. HCHRA will provide down payment financing to assist buyers interested in purchasing a home to have as their principal place of residence in Hennepin County.
Eligibility Requirements
- Borrower’s gross household income must be at or below 115% AMI.
First-time buyer: Borrower must not have an ownership interest in another property for the last 3 years.
- Borrower can have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or Social Security Number (SSN).
- Borrower must contribute at least $1,000 of their own funds toward the purchase.
- Housing Ratios: Borrower’s PITI must be within 20-35% (front end), not to exceed 50% (back-end) of gross income.
Required Education
- Certificate of Home Stretch group education within one year prior to purchase; see available workshops on Minnesota Homeownership Center website. Framework or other curriculums are not accepted. Sign up for NWHP workshops.
- Certificate of 1:1 Pre-purchase advising is required within one year of purchase. Sign up for NWHP pre-purchase advising.
- If there are two borrowers, both must complete Home Stretch and pre-purchase counseling.
Click here for more information and to apply for this program.
Hennepin County's Repair + Grow Request for Proposals (RFP)
Deadline: 3:00 PM on Thursday, September 26th, 2024
The City of Minneapolis encourages eligible housing projects to apply to Hennepin County’s Repair + Grow request for proposals (RFP). The region needs a healthy system of developers and owners to expand affordable housing production for low-income residents. Yet many non-profit partners are still struggling to keep existing projects in operation due to industry-wide rental revenue decreases and operating cost increases. Repair + Grow works to help some of those challenges, with the goal of increasing local capacity to create new affordable housing that meets the needs of all Hennepin County residents.
Repair + Grow will provide one-time funding to local non-profit affordable housing owner-developers to help mitigate challenges. Proposals are due by 3:00 PM on Thursday, September 26th and must be submitted via the Hennepin County Supplier Portal.
Northside Real Estate Developer Grants
Deadline: 1:00 PM on Wednesday, October 9th, 2024
The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation announced the opening of the Northside Commercial Real Estate Development Grant. A grant pool of $100,000 has been allocated to distribute pre-development grants for Black commercial real estate developers with site control of properties in North Minneapolis.
Applicants can apply for up to $15,000. Click here for more information and spread the word amongst your networks.
Transformative Career Pathway Competitive Grants Request for Proposals (RFP)
Deadline: 5:00 PM on Monday, October 7th, 2024
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), through its Adult Career Pathways Programs, is seeking proposals from qualified responders to provide services through the Transformative Career Pathway Competitive Grants.
The Transformative Career Pathway Competitive Grants must provide skills training to communities of color and/or low-income communities, leading to employment or business development in high-growth industries. Applications are due on Monday, October 7 at 5:00 PM Central Time and must be submitted as a PDF to the Office of Adult Career Pathways email. Click here to download the application.
If your child has a mental, behavioral or emotional issue that leaves you overwhelmed, Hennepin County offers help. Support is free and quick.
There are no specific criteria required for Family Response support, but concerns may include children or youths who are:
- Having a hard time with a family member or change in the home.
- Showing aggression or anger.
- Feeling down or less engaged.
- Feeling worry and concern.
- Having issues at school.
Learn more about how to get support from the Family Response and Stabilization Service on the Hennepin County website.
Minneapolis has a contract with Aira, an app that helps residents and visitors who are blind or have low vision navigate their surroundings using their phone. The person opens the app on their phone and is connected with a navigator who provides visual navigation support. The Aira app uses smart technology to connect users with human agents who are trained professional guides. The agents access the user’s smartphone camera (or Aira glasses) for a live video feed combined with GPS and maps so they can describe these public spaces and help users maneuver through them and also more richly experience what they have to offer.
The service is now available at Target Center, Minneapolis Convention Center, Nicollet Mall, City Hall, and the City’s Public Service Building and Public Service Center. This contract had been in place since 2019 and was recently renewed with the addition of the Public Service Center and the Public Service Building.
Download the free app and use it for free within any of these locations listed above.
The City Trees program is providing low-cost trees to Minneapolis property owners. Since the program began in 2006, the City has helped plant more than 20,000 trees. Minneapolis is one of the country’s greenest cities.
Trees are available year-round to:
- Businesses
- Nonprofits
- Organizations
- Apartment buildings with five or more units
Residents in Minneapolis Green Zones are encouraged to participate and to plant shade trees for the most benefits, including natural cooling during the hotter months.
The Climate Legacy Initiative is funding the City Trees program.
See what tree programs are offered on the City website.
Watch a video and hear from our City Trees team.
The Transit Assistance Program offers discounted transit fares for low-income residents, making it easier to commute to work, school, medical appointments and other essential activities. With a reduced fare TAP card, riders pay just $1 per ride, even during rush hour.
Now, qualifying riders can sign up for a TAP card at the Minneapolis Service Center in downtown. With its location near high traffic areas like the Government Center and Metro Transit’s Blue and Green light rail lines, the service center will be easily accessible by thousands.
Minneapolis Service Center
- Public Service Building, skyway level
- 505 Fourth Ave. S.
Find out more about the new location on the City website.
Start your enrollment on the Metro Transit website.
Minneapolis Debt Fairness Clinic
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid is collaborating with community partners to offer expertise and assistance at the Minneapolis Debt Fairness Clinic hosted by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. This event is free and open to the public!
Share this with your neighbors who might benefit from:
- Know Your Rights presentations about the debt fairness act;
- One-on-one consultations with attorneys;
- Expungement assistance at no cost.
Event Details:
- Date/Time: Saturday, October 5th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Location: NorthPoint Conference Center, 1256 Penn Avenue North, Suite 5200, Minneapolis, MN 55411
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