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Minneapolis, Minn. – On January 30, Council Member Chowdhury, Council Member Osman, Council Member Chavez, and Council Vice President Chughtai brought forward a resolution that reallocates $100,000 in contingency funds to the City’s Regulatory Services Department to provide emergency funding to support the operations of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) for its pop-up warming center.
As Minneapolis faces frigid temperatures, MIWRC and community members have come together to provide a space for warmth for our unhoused neighbors. Some Council Members have visited the warming center, which is largely volunteer-run, to see first hand the work being done. Hennepin County has contributed an additional $100,000 in funding to help MIWRC to sustain this warming center. The funding will go towards staffing, meals, security, and other operational costs.
Earlier this month, Council Members attended a multijurisdictional meeting organized by Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors (MUID), where the need for immediate action was clear. The City Council recognizes the urgent crisis facing Native community members and the necessity of a multijurisdictional approach to address their needs. The Council remains deeply committed to the well-being of the Native American community and will continue to work alongside community leaders and organizations to advocate for long-term solutions. While this emergency funding represents a critical first step, we urge other jurisdictions to follow suit and take proactive steps to address this crisis in a meaningful and coordinated manner.
“We are in a moment where on the coldest nights of Minnesota winter, current warming centers are at capacity,” said Intergovernmental Relations Chair Council Member Aurin Chowdhury. “Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center stepped in to add capacity and help save lives and give a hand to people to get stability. We as a City Council are stepping up and working alongside Hennepin County to sustain this critical resource. This is a positive step, however it is symptomatic of the need for a multijurisdictional strategic plan that should have been organized years ago. I am resolute in working across levels of government to make that possible now.”
“As temperatures have plummeted this winter, our unsheltered neighbors have been met with indifference from the Frey administration,” said Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai. “Community members, who have stepped in for decades to take care of one another when systems have failed them, once again came together to provide a safe haven from dangerous, below-freezing weather. There has been a failure of our institutions to provide life saving resources for our unhoused neighbors, and MIWRC is one of the organizations doing incredible work to close the gap by providing a warming shelter. The Council took swift action to ensure this life saving warming shelter remains available through the rest of the winter.”
"No person should be forced to spend the night outside, and that is especially true in the middle of winter," said Council Member Jason Chavez. "I believe that the City’s current approach to helping our unhoused neighbors is ineffective, so I’m beyond grateful that MIWRC, together with community, stepped up to open its doors for our neighbors. When government falls short in fulfilling their responsibility to its residents, community fills in the gaps. MIWRC staff and volunteers are filling those gaps with their warming center and supply depot, and this funding is the least we can do to support their efforts."
“Our unhoused neighbors, especially Native community members, deserve safety, warmth, and dignity,” said Council Member Jamal Osman. “I believe the MIWRC has been a lifeline in my ward and this funding will help them continue their vital work. But this isn’t just about emergency action—it’s about making sure every resident has the support they need.”
You can find the full resolution here. |
