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From Ward 5 Minneapolis City Council Member, Jeremiah Ellison.
Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman served Minnesota with such a lucid sense of morality and diligence. She deserved gratitude, grace, and challenge (as all politicians do). My heart is broken. I have no words. Rep. Hortman deserved more than this. Sending love to her family.
Political assassinations need to be called what they are. Speaker Hortman and her husband, Mark, were targeted and murdered. This is devastating and horrific. Senator Hoffman, his wife, Yvette, and their family deserves all of our prayers and love as well.
We cannot continue on like this.
 
As we near the end of June, I want to wish our 2SLGBTQIA+ community a Happy Pride! I hope our community had the opportunity to celebrate Pride this weekend. Everyone deserves to love who they love, no matter who they are.
Every year, the City of Minneapolis collects requests to slow down traffic from people who live, own property, or run businesses here. Of all the traffic calming applications submitted, 49 projects have been approved and will be constructed across all 13 Wards. Of these 49 projects, 14 will be in Wards 4 and 5. The Northside traffic calming projects are the following:
- 29th Avenue North (between West Broadway and Penn Avenue North)
- James Avenue North (between 29th Avenue North and 26th Avenue North)
- Xerxes Avenue North (between 17th Avenue North and Plymouth Avenue North)
- 6th Street North (between 26th Avenue North and 22nd Avenue North)
- 33rd Avenue North (between Knox Avenue North and Fremont Avenue North)
- Morgan Avenue North (between 29th Avenue North and 26th Avenue North)
- 30th Avenue North (between Emerson Avenue North and Lyndale Avenue North)
- Oliver Avenue North (between Golden Valley Road and 16th Avenue North)
- Dupont Avenue North (between 51st and 49th Avenue North)
- 14th Avenue North (between Morgan Avenue North and Irving Avenue North)
- 30th Avenue North (between Knox Avenue North and Fremont Avenue North)
- Sheridan Avenue North (between West Broadway and McNair Avenue)
- Oliver Avenue North (between Dowling Avenue North and 34th Avenue North)
- Upton Avenue North (between Lowry Avenue North and 29th Avenue North)
If you want traffic calming in your area, fill out the online traffic calming application. It's open to everyone including residents, business owners, and neighborhood or business organizations. You can do it online or if you need help, you can call Minneapolis 311.
The deadline to apply for 2026 consideration is August 1st, 2025.
Minneapolis now has a Narcan vending machine on the North Side. This life-saving resource expands access to the drug, naloxone, that reverses opioid overdoses.
Located at Fire Station 14, this is the second vending machine in the city. The vending machine:
- Provides 24-hour access.
- Contains more than 100 boxes of naloxone, each holding two doses.
- Is free to community members with no barriers.
Fire Station 14 also serves as the city’s safe station. This is a space where people struggling with addiction and substance misuse can connect with resources and support.
Learn more about naloxone and support for substance use disorder.
The City’s support of the local dance community progresses. Applications have opened for the Bridge Fund for Dance Program. The new funding aims to energize Minneapolis’ dance scene while attracting artists, audiences and experiences downtown.
Read more about the dance fund on the City website.
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.
Hennepin County and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board have announced their 2025 summer event schedules.
Hennepin County’s free, family-friendly events include live music, Pianos on Parade, movie nights at Target Field Station, fitness classes and more. See the entire “Go Outside with Hennepin County” lineup.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board movies in the parks runs through Aug. 30 with 66 free outdoor movie screenings planned. Music in the parks runs through Labor Day with more than 200 free outdoor concerts in eight park venues. Read more about this year’s movies and music in the parks on the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board website.
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
Metropolitan Council
The Metropolitan Council is the regional policy-making body, planning agency, and provider of essential services in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area. The Metropolitan Council has a huge range of job openings in many areas of expertise.
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.
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.
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.
Colonial Market is now open at the corner of Lowry Avenue North and Penn Avenue! Since ALDI closed its doors at this corridor, many Northsiders have been excited for a local grocer to come and serve our community. I'm excited to see our community have another local grocer option in their neighborhood again.
To learn more about this grand opening, visit this CBS News coverage of this development.
First Generation Down Payment Assistance
Minnesota’s two new first-come, first-served, down payment assistance programs are still accepting applications, and 50% of allocated funds remain.
Hennepin County HRA Homebuyer Assistance Program
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.
Northside Awesome Grant
Granted Awarded Monthly
The North Minneapolis Chapter of the Awesome Foundation grants support projects in business, sciences, arts, education, civic engagement, media, and entertainment — just about anything as long as it contributes to making the Northside of Minneapolis more AWESOME! And guess what – 501c3 status is not a requirement! The grants can go to groups, individuals, small non-profit organizations, almost any entity.
We prioritize applications that demonstrate clear ideas, project budgets, strong Northside connectivity and projects that positively impact the Northside. If you do not live in North Minneapolis or have a significantly strong connection to the Northside you will not likely be funded.
Apply by the end of each month to be eligible for a grant of up to $1000 for your Awesome Idea! One Grant of up to $1000 will be made each month. Click here to learn more and apply.
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.
News of layoffs – federal workers, tech workers and others – have topped headlines recently. Unexpected job loss is tough for anyone, but there are resources to help. The Dislocated Worker program helps workers laid off through no fault of their own. This free program offers services including:
- Career planning and counseling
- Job search assistance
- Education and training support
- Help with your expenses around employment or training goals
Visit the City of Minneapolis' dislocated worker webpage or contact staff at CareerForce for help finding a new job.
The City uses Smart911 to send important information to residents during an emergency.
Get alerts
You can choose to receive Smart911 alerts by:
- Text messages
- Emails
- Phone calls
- Push notifications in the Smart911 mobile app
- Wireless emergency alerts*
Alert topics
The City of Minneapolis will use Smart911 to send alerts on topics including:
- Snow emergencies
- Severe weather
- Public safety incidents
- Major infrastructure issues
- Major special event impacts
Find out more and subscribe on the City website.
*Wireless emergency alerts come through the nationwide Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
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