The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) values resident and community voices in every decision we make. However, the protest planned for the site of MPHA’s Glendale Townhomes is based upon recklessly incorrect statements about who we are and what we care about. The organizers have chosen to retain a highly misleading narrative in the interest of spreading fear to public housing residents and public officials. Unfortunately, this fear poses the real danger to the goal of preserving our housing in today’s difficult funding environment.
MPHA aims to save our 6,000 units of housing—every single one.
Organizers have repeatedly said that MPHA intends to “walk away from public housing” and let private developers “take over,” leaving residents to lose their homes and fend for themselves. This is not true, and nothing MPHA has said or done would reasonably give this impression. Our only goal—our mission statement, in fact—is to preserve and improve housing for very low-income people in Minneapolis. We will fulfill this with every action we take, fighting gentrification by preserving—and even expanding—deeply subsidized housing around the city.
No building is scheduled to be demolished or sold.
Organizers have stated that MPHA intends to “sell, lease and demolish all public housing,” and have gone door-to-door, without evidence, telling worried residents that their buildings are in danger. In truth, the process of research, planning, and conversation around redevelopment takes years to reach fruition, with residents consulted every step of the way. There are no plans for any building, and we promise residents will be included early and often if and when we get there.
Residents deserve protections during any change—and we have put those protections in black and white.
Statements that residents will lose their housing benefits, see increased rents, won’t be able to return to their homes, or be cast to the whim of the private rental market are just wrong. Our board-adopted Guiding Principles are our promises that residents are the first and the last things we will think about in any redevelopment. Visit our Q &A and read the Guiding Principles here: http://mphaonline.org/GuidingPrinciples
Contact: media@mplspha.org
