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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I've intended to send this year-in-review out for the past several weeks, but as the cities of Minneapolis and St. Louis Park, our region, and communities across Minnesota are gripped by federal law enforcement acting outside the law, I've struggled to find the right time and language.
Each day the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, (CBP) and Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) are in our communities brings more tragedy, more constitutional violations, more families ripped apart, more neighbors disappeared, and more violence. To Renee Good, and her family and loved ones, I'm so sorry.
I have spent the last eight years working with you to end the law enforcement-to-ICE pipeline to ensure that all residents receive their constitutional right to due process. The incredible amount of pressure from the federal government has weakened our efforts, as we are all witness to.
I will continue to raise our collective voice for justice. I condemn in the strongest terms the federal government's operations in Minnesota.
I stand with our most vulnerable residents, and those on the frontline resisting this occupation.
I celebrate the way in which our region’s deep sense of community and mutuality is a source of strength, resilience, and resistance.
Please read on for programmatic highlights from the county in the last year.
My best,
I am passionate about demystifying government, and county government in particular. As well as my office’s monthly e-newsletter, every year I share highlights of the last year’s accomplishments at Hennepin County, provide a few updates, and look ahead to 2026.
In 2025, volatility in the federal level of government threatened (and continues to threaten) supports and services that people who live in Hennepin County expect and want, and which strengthen this region. In 2026, the county is faced with expanding service and programmatic mandates while simultaneously receiving fewer dollars from the federal and state governments. I will not compromise on the needs of our residents, and I will ensure to the best of my ability that the county maintains services that deliver high impact for people and the environment.
In my leadership at the county, I will continue to prioritize county residents’ access to the tools they need to thrive and to steward transformative longer-term projects in transit, infrastructure, the environment, housing, and healthcare.
Take a look below at highlights from over the course of last year.
Expanding Affordable Housing and Homeownership
Stable housing is the foundation on which other facets of life depend; stable housing drives wellbeing in all ways. It helps residents obtain and maintain employment, achieve and maintain better health, and build and nurture more consistent relationships and community. Affordable housing is in short supply, and an ongoing county priority is to grow our investment and innovation in this space.
- The county created or preserved nearly 1,300 rental units, with 41% of those units being deeply affordable at less than 30% area median income (AMI)
- Under the county’s Supportive Housing Strategy, we opened 124 deeply affordable units just this year, the most units we've ever opened in one year. Also exciting, another 113 Supportive Housing Strategy units are currently under construction. These units are buttressed by services for residents who have challenges that confound their access to stable housing, which makes the units both valuable and hard to get off the ground.
- Hennepin County operates a program that makes home health and safety repairs, including accessibility and aging-in-place projects, and raises awareness about possible exposures to lead in our homes, and testing for lead.
- This year, our home repair team completed 286 home projects, which included new windows, paint, flooring, accessibility ramps, safety bars, radon tests, roofing, siding, and bathroom accessibility projects that make homes safer and healthier.
- The county created 60 affordable homeownership opportunities—through new construction, rehabbed homes, and down payment assistance.
- In only one year, we launched and fully disbursed our Repair + Grow program to help affordable housing owners recover from the pandemic and get back into developing new housing. This work represents intense partnership, creativity, critical financial modeling, and hustle, and will demonstrate benefits for years to come.
Safe Communities
Tragically, Minnesota has experienced more high profile gun violence than previously over the past six months, reflecting national trends. I join with you as we mourn these senseless losses.
For many years, federal public health dollars have been specifically barred from being spent on studying gun violence prevalence and factors. In that context, I’m enthusiastic that the county board voted unanimously to officially declare gun violence a public health priority for Hennepin County. I am glad to reiterate our efforts to reduce gun violence, and extend those efforts in alliance with community and regional partners.
Gun violence is an urgent and complex public health and safety issue that affects individuals, families, and communities across Hennepin County. Hennepin County’s work to prevent, respond to, and mitigate gun violence spans across departments and is grounded in a public health framework. This includes:
- Prevention: Addressing root causes and risk factors through upstream investments in mental health, youth development, education, housing stability, and community engagement.
- Response: Providing timely, trauma-informed interventions following incidents of gun violence, including crisis response, legal advocacy, and coordinated care.
- Mitigation: Supporting long-term recovery and healing for individuals and communities impacted by gun violence, and reducing the likelihood of future harm.
This work is carried out in partnership with community-based organizations, law enforcement, schools, health care providers, faith-based organizations, recreation centers, and local jurisdictions. It includes focused supports for youth, survivors, and communities most impacted by violence, and emphasizes culturally responsive, trauma-informed services.
Regional and Local Connectivity
Our regional climate, economic, and community wellbeing depend on multimodal transit and connective infrastructure that serve residents and local businesses. The county continues to make investments in transit, roads, and bridges that connect people to jobs, entertainment, and opportunity, and support safer travel for all users. I am proud to lead the county’s investment and partnerships to advance multi-modal transit in our region.
- This past summer the Green Line Extension light rail transit (LRT) entered the final major stage of project construction: the testing phase. This means LRT trains are now moving along the track, testing timing, rail, and warning systems. The 14.5-mile extension of the METRO Green Line with 16 new stations serving Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, nearby Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie continues to spark major investment along its route. The line is on schedule to start passenger service in 2027.
- The new E Line Bus Rapid Transit line officially opened in December. The bus line serves Lowry Hill, Uptown, and Linden Hills on its way between Northeast Minneapolis and Edina, and is replacing Route 6 for faster transit service on this popular route.
- The Lyndale Avenue South redesign process is ongoing with the City of Minneapolis in efforts to support all modes of travel and greening options, for maintained access to businesses, and cultural and entertainment attractions. This project covers the stretch of Lyndale between Franklin Avenue and Lake Street.
- Franklin Avenue reconstruction will begin in 2026. This is a multi-stage project, and details can be found at the project page online.
A Thriving Economy
Hennepin County’s economic development programs are a comprehensive suite of initiatives designed to support people, places, and businesses across the region, helping communities thrive and grow. The county offers resources ranging from business advising and startup support to place-based investments, planning grants, and development incentives for affordable housing, commercial districts, sustainability, and transit-oriented projects. These programs aim to foster inclusive economic growth, strengthen local economies, and build vibrant, people-centered communities throughout the county.
- The Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority approved $225,000 to invest in small business districts throughout the county as part of the Economic Development team's Love Local Storefronts façade improvement program. The funding will support storefront upgrades in business nodes in St. Louis Park, amongst others. The program aims to enhance the vibrancy, walkability, and cultural identity of commercial districts while supporting locally owned small businesses.
- Elevate Hennepin has launched a few additional programs this year to help small businesses in Hennepin County thrive:
- The Commercial Ownership Assistance program supports commercial real estate ownership among established small businesses who are in the early stages of assessing the feasibility of acquiring a specific property. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so reach out if more information is needed.
- The Elevate Hennepin Commercial Property Ownership Loan Fund provides low-barrier financing for small local businesses seeking to acquire property.
- It is especially important that we continue to foster creativity and activity in our young people. In addition to $408k granted in May, the board awarded $1.3M in additional youth activities grants in early December, including three projects in District 3:
- $25k to the Minneapolis Parks and Rec Board, in collaboration with Mississippi Park Connection, the University of Minnesota, and the Indigenous Artist Collective, for art opportunities along the Mississippi Riverfront, including public art installations, a floating concert on water, and youth-focused indigenous art experiences
- $25k to Minneapolis Public Schools for musical instruments, completing Anwatin Middle School’s steel pan band
- $300k to the St. Louis Park Public School District to add adaptive equipment and additional upgrades to Oak Hill Park, making it universally accessible
Resident Wellbeing and Health
Hennepin Health System (HHS, comprising Hennepin County Medical Center [HCMC] and its clinics) uniquely positions the county board to support healthcare access in our community and we continue to invest in both clinics across the county, and the downtown Minneapolis hospital.
- In 2025, the county board assumed direct governance of HHS, for an unspecified but temporary window of time. The hospital is irreplaceable healthcare infrastructure for Level 1 trauma cases, family practice, emergency services, and medical education, to name just some of what HHS provides the entire state of Minnesota and the upper midwestern medical ecosystem. It is imperative that HHS put its best financial foot forward to navigate the challenges ahead.
- Hennepin County public health offers services regardless of immigration status, and maintains intentional voluntary health access for newly arrived individuals who can safely elect health services ranging from general screenings, to immunizations, to more specific individual care. Since 2020, public health has served over 3,500 refugees, recorded over 5,400 individual visits, and provided nearly 32,000 immunizations to keep families and children healthy and school-ready.
Energy and Environment
The county is committed to advancing environmental sustainability by reducing waste, protecting our natural resources, expanding community investment, and investing in innovative programs that support a healthier, more resilient region.
Here are steps that the county took in 2025 to advance zero-waste policy:
- Set a target to cut the amount of edible food discarded in half and finalized a Wasted Food Prevention Plan that provides a roadmap for reaching this target.
- Started offering grants for community-based zero-waste projects and to help food security organizations increase food rescue.
- Partnered with the City of Minneapolis to help them make alternative waste disposal plans is in service of our goal of closing the HERC.
The county also worked with residents and partners across the county to protect land and water:
- Removed dead and diseased trees on properties of residents with lower incomes.
- Sold, gave away, and planted more than 17,000 trees.
- Partnered with landowners to preserve natural areas forever.
The county supports educational and volunteer activities in support of our mission:
- Offered new Swap-It Events, the always popular Fix-It Clinics, and the Reuse Ride to kick off the Salvage Crawl.
- Provided volunteer training programs, Environmental Education Network meetings, and learning events.
- Facilitated online challenges and pledges and the Mighty Mississippi Cleanup Challenge, which we won for the second year in a row.
We expanded our offering and promotion of drop-offs and collections:
- Continued to collect hazardous waste and recyclables at our drop-off facilities and household hazardous waste collection events.
- Offered building material donation events, yard sign recycling collections, medicine drop boxes, funding for new organics recycling drop-off sites, and promotion of paper shredding events and services.
The county continues to issue grants for environmental projects:
- Provided $7 million in funding and expert assistance for 286 projects that improve recycling and prevent waste, protect and restore land and water, and educate and engage audiences in protecting the environment. Reach out to my office if you have interest in applying.
A Welcoming and Supportive County
Last but very much not least, Hennepin County prides itself on contributing to a welcoming region. In light of federal immigration activity in the county, we have stood up this webpage that is a good and timely source of information and resources. Here is a newsletter I sent out in November 2025 outlining ways in which Hennepin County supports members of our community who are immigrants.
Looking Ahead
While we continue to navigate significant funding challenges, these times inspire creativity and collaboration. We invite you to stay engaged, stand with your neighbors, and support our community alongside us. Together, Hennepin County will continue to be present, responsive, and guided by our core values and commitment to eliminating disparities.
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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