Today, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho, and Minneapolis City Councilmember Robin Wonsley joined MPHA staff and residents to celebrate the agency securing the final funding necessary to install fire suppression systems in all 42 agency high-rises. This includes a $2.4 million contribution from Minnesota Housing in 2021, a $2 million direct federal appropriation secured by Congresswoman Omar and Senators Smith and Klobuchar last year along with $1.2 million in the City of Minneapolis’ 2023 budget, championed by Councilmember Wonsley. Agency staff provided leaders a tour of the Hiawatha Towers to learn about fire suppression installation work currently underway. Leaders also heard from Minneapolis Highrise Representative Council President, Mary McGovern, about the peace of mind this new fire suppression system affords residents.
“What began as an ambitious goal to install fire suppression systems in all agency high-rises by the end 2025 is now on track to becoming a remarkable achievement in partnership,” said Abdi Warsame, Executive Director/CEO of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “In the wake of tragedy, MPHA, the city, state, and our federal delegation banded together and deepened the investments made in public housing residents. The action by our leaders is a clear message to public housing residents in Minneapolis that they matter. Their leaders see them, their leaders understand their challenges, and their leaders will prioritize them in budgets where resources are limited.”
“In the aftermath of the tragic fire at a high-rise building in Cedar-Riverside, I am proud to join city, state, and federal officials to celebrate funding to install fire suppression systems in all 42 MPHA high-rises,” said Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. “I particularly want to thank Senator Amy Klobuchar and Senator Tina Smith for their partnership in securing $2 million in federal funding to accelerate the installation process. I remain committed to ensuring a similar tragic accident never happens again and will continue to advocate for full public investments in public housing.”
“The HUD public housing portfolio is critical in making sure deeply affordable housing is available in every part of the state and that buildings attend to the health and safety of residents,” said Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Leimaile Ho. “This effort has required participation from all levels of government.”
“I was proud to lead my colleagues to approve the final funding needed to complete this crucial safety infrastructure, but fire suppression is the bare minimum, and our work is just beginning,” said Minneapolis City Councilmember Robin Wonsley. “We need to raise a public housing levy and use every other tool at our disposal to preserve and improve existing public housing, and massively expand the Minneapolis public housing stock. I look forward to continuing to partner with MPHA, public housing residents, and colleagues at every level of government to ensure that public housing is part of solving the housing crisis in Minneapolis.”
The final $1.2 million from the City of Minneapolis will cover the work for the four remaining MPHA buildings that were without dedicated funding for fire suppression installations. The four buildings are: 809 Spring St NE (32 Units), 1900 3rd St NE (32 Units), 3205 E 37th Street (28 Units), and 3755 Snelling Ave S (28 Units). Of the residents living in these four buildings, 61 percent are Black/African-American, 63 percent are elderly, 52 percent are disabled, and only 22 percent of residents have earned income, earning an average income of $15,967.
To date, fire sprinkler systems have been installed in 23 of 42 high rises, with work underway in another 10 buildings. Additionally, the agency has installed carbon monoxide/smoke detectors and stovetop firestop cans in all high-rise units.
Historically, MPHA has only received about ten percent of the funding necessary for major building improvements. In 2022, MPHA’s HUD-provided capital funding was $20 million, whereas the agency’s expanding capital improvement backlog is now estimated at more than $210 million.
Despite the headwinds posed by inadequate federal funding, MPHA has invested more than $16 million of its own capital dollars towards fire suppression installations since 2020. In 2021, Minnesota Housing contributed $2.4 million, the City of Minneapolis contributed $2.15 million across 2021 ($1.15M) and 2022 ($1M), $2 million in a direct federal appropriation secured by Senators Smith, Klobuchar, and Congresswoman Omar, and finally, the $1.2 million championed by Councilmember Wonsley. All told, MPHA has secured all the funding needed to install fire suppression systems in all 42 of its high rises. Learn more about MPHA’s progress installing fire sprinklers here (Page 330).
