For years, Gloria Coles owned her own home in Chicago. But when she became a caretaker for her mother, she fell behind on her mortgage payments, and eventually her home went into foreclosure.

In 2013, Gloria moved in with her daughter in Minneapolis. When that arrangement was no longer working, Gloria’s friends suggested she look into public housing. Unfamiliar with how public housing worked in Minneapolis, Gloria reached out to learn more and applied. In 2015, Gloria moved into the Atrium in downtown Minneapolis.

What she found at the Atrium was more than just an affordable apartment—she found community.

“All my life I’ve been involved in community,” said Gloria Coles, a Minneapolis Public Housing Authority resident. “I’ve always felt that if your community is not important to you, how can you expect it to be important to someone else.”

Gloria didn’t waste any time cultivating that community. She jumped right in, putting her professional experience in food service, event logistics, and community health to work building connections among residents. She’s helped with voter registration efforts, led heart health learning sessions across MPHA buildings, and coordinated weekly on-site technology education classes.

“My whole goal is to increase awareness,” said Gloria. “I’m always trying to get residents information and resources. I am always trying to take away the ‘I don’t know’ for people because you can’t act on information you are not aware of.”

Today, Gloria is the building’s resident council president and chairs the city-wide Active Living Committee through Minneapolis Highrise Representative Council (MHRC). As the resident council president, she helps coordinate building events, including semi-monthly bingo followed by a shared meal and a recent summer ice cream social. She also leads the monthly resident council meetings, where residents share ideas for building community and raise concerns about their home.

“I’m always trying to get people to participate and feel welcome,” said Gloria.

Gloria is thankful for MPHA not only because it provides affordable housing, but because it has opened the doors to a community, both in her building and across the city.