Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Housing Deputy Commissioner Rachel Robinson, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Minneapolis City Councilmember Robin Wonsley joined MPHA staff and residents to commemorate the agency completing the installation of fire suppression systems in all 42 MPHA high-rises. The agency achieved the important milestone more than a year ahead of its stated goal, a direct result of funding partnerships at nearly every level of government and an unwavering dedication by the MPHA team. Additionally, the agency has installed carbon monoxide/smoke detectors and stovetop firestop cans in all high-rise units.
“What began as an ambitious goal has become a watershed moment for this agency,” 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.”
“The fire at Cedar High Apartments was a tragic loss for the Cedar-Riverside community and our state,” said U.S. Senator Tina Smith. “I commend the work of MPHA, the city, and the state who sprang into action following this tragedy to help fund and install fire suppression systems in all 42 of MPHA high-rises. The federal government has an obligation to make sure that homes in public housing have fire sprinklers and systems to ensure the safety of residents, and I want to thank my fellow federal legislators who worked side-by-side with me to secure critical federal funding for this project.”
“Today’s milestone is a testament to what we can achieve when we come together in service of our community,” said Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. “By pooling resources and expertise at every level, federal, state, and local, we’ve delivered life-saving fire suppression systems to the residents of Minneapolis public housing. I’m proud to have fought alongside Senators Klobuchar and Smith to secure federal funding for this critical work.”
“When we talk about dignified and affordable housing for all, safety is essential to that dignity,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “For residents of apartment buildings, fire suppression is crucial—and our city is proud to invest $3.35 million to help get this necessary tool installed in our city’s public housing high rises. I’m tremendously thankful to MPHA and local, state, and federal partners who worked together to get this done for Minneapolis residents.”
“Fire suppression in public housing is a racial and social justice issue,” said Minneapolis City Councilmember Robin Wonsley. “I’m honored to have led the Council to be part of raising the bar for safety standards at Minneapolis public housing. I look forward to continuing to work with public housing residents, MPHA, and my colleagues at the local and state level to invest in public housing and public housing residents.”
In 2020, MPHA established a goal to install fire suppression systems in all agency high-rises by the end of 2025. At that time, due to a chronic lack of federal funding, only 16 of the agency’s high-rises had fire suppression systems installed. Since 2020, MPHA has invested nearly $14 million to install fire suppression systems across its entire portfolio of high-rises.
For perspective on the magnitude of commitment to this work from MPHA, during that time, the agency received about $15 million a year from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to cover the agency’s annual capital expenses. That annual funding is intended to cover the needs for its entire portfolio of nearly 6,000 units. However, realistically, it only covers about 10 percent of the agency’s actual annual capital needs. In 2023 and 2024, MPHA’s annual capital funding from HUD has been closer to $20 million – still only a fraction of the agency’s real needs to help address its capital backlog of $260 million.
Because of the headwinds posed by inadequate federal funding, this project required agency leaders to make strategic, targeted decisions to stretch funding as far as possible to achieve this priority work without neglecting other critical needs across its massive portfolio. But the key factor that enabled MPHA to achieve this milestone more than a year ahead of its stated goal was the number of local, state, and federal partners that stepped up to assist the agency to fund the installation of fire suppression systems.
Supplementing MPHA’s investment of nearly $14 million since 2020, Minnesota Housing contributed $2.4 million in 2021, Mayor Frey and the City of Minneapolis contributed $2.15 million across 2021 ($1.15M) and 2022 ($1M), Senators Smith, Klobuchar, and Congresswoman Omar secured a $2 million direct federal appropriation in 2022, and finally, Minneapolis City Councilmember Robin Wonsley championed the final $1.2 million needed in the City’s 2023 budget.
The day’s event included remarks from funding partners, agency leaders, and resident leaders. The event provided MPHA team members an opportunity to come together in community with MPHA residents to mark the closing of this chapter in the agency’s history.
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