A note from the Mayor: Homelessness
Two very important things happened this week.
On Thursday, multiple state agencies unveiled a plan to end homelessness in Minnesota. And today, a commission I formed laid out their plan to end it in Saint Paul.
10,000 Minnesotans – half of whom are young people-- find themselves looking for some sort of shelter each night in Minnesota. The state effort, which involves a partnership between 11 state agencies and the full support of me and my administration, is the most ambitious effort in state history—combining both housing construction and a mix of preventative strategies.
Here in Saint Paul, we face a similar challenge. Thirty-two years ago, business, government, faith and community leaders in Saint Paul worked together to open the doors to the Dorothy Day Center, where people could stop in for a cup of coffee and a roll. It was supposed to be short-term, as homelessness was thought to be a temporary problem in the Twin Cities. We all know it wasn’t temporary, and a lot has changed since then.
Today, homelessness in Minnesota is at an all-time high, and the Dorothy Day Center is overflowing. Some of our most vulnerable citizens are not getting the help they need at a time when they need it the most. This deteriorating building has become a crisis management center, rather than a place of hope and opportunity. And it certainly does not provide the dignity that each person deserves.
On Friday, a taskforce of civic, business and philanthropic leaders I commissioned last year unveiled a strategy to begin effectively ending homelessness in Saint Paul. It includes constructing a new multi-level building, made up of an emergency center on the ground level, upper-level rooms as well as efficiency apartments. It would connect to a job training and social services building. The plan not only gives those in need the real feeling of upward mobility as they work to become self-sustaining, but the tools to get there. And the Dorothy Day Center would be replaced with affordable housing.
The reality is that this should have been done five years ago. Everyone deserves to be in a safe, and dignified, environment – our thinking has evolved on how to achieve that, and it is time to act.
This week has served as a stark reminder to me of all that I have to be thankful for. As the holidays near, I am fortunate to be spending them in a warm home with the people I most care about. And when it’s over, I’ll be sleeping in a warm bed—something so many in our community don’t have access to.
I hope you enjoy this holiday season, and take a moment to think of what you have to be thankful for.
Nelson Mandela Memorial
Last Sunday, Mayor Coleman joined local leaders who spoke at a memorial for Nelson Mandela. The Mayor spoke not only of Mandela’s legacy of forgiveness, trust and perseverance, but how that legacy influences us and our work.
Transportation
 Last week, Mayor Coleman spent a day in DC testifying before the Transportation/Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit in both his role as Mayor and as President of the National League of Cities. Mayor Coleman expressed the importance of federal support to local governments to create and improve infrastructure. When our cities are strong, our country is strong, and infrastructure is a crucial part of that.
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Mayor Rybak’s Unaugural
On Wednesday, Mayor Coleman joined leaders from across the state at Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak’s Unaugural Celebration, as Mayor-Elect Betsy Hodges begins to transition into her new role. Mayor Rybak and Mayor Coleman built a strong partnership between the Twin Cities during his tenure, and Mayor Coleman is looking forward to continuing that partnership with Mayor-Elect Hodges, focusing on how we can best work together as a region.
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