Alliance For Metropolitan Stability

THE ALLIANCE IS A COALITION OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCACY GROUPS BUILDING SHARED POWER TO ADVANCE STRATEGIC CAMPAIGNS AROUND THE INTERSECTIONS OF RACIAL JUSTICE, ECONOMIC JUSTICE, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND HEALTH EQUITY. OUR MISSION IS TO ADVANCE JUSTICE AND EQUITY IN ECONOMIC GROWTH AND LAND DEVELOPMENT IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION. THE ALLIANCE HAS 33 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS AND WE BUILD COALITIONS THAT ENGAGE DOZENS OF OTHER ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS IN ADVANCING OUR SHARED VISION FOR AN EQUITABLE REGION THROUGH: -COALITION ORGANIZING: WE ORGANIZE COALITIONS THAT CROSS THE BOUNDARIES OF RACE, CULTURE, GEOGRAPHY AND ISSUES TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND JUSTICE. -COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: WE ENSURE THAT LOW-WEALTH AND BIPOC COMMUNITIES ARE ENGAGED IN THE PUBLIC DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES THAT SHAPE POLICIES AND SYSTEMS. -STRATEGIC SYSTEMS NAVIGATION: WE PROVIDE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT LEADERS IN NAVIGATING COMPLEX INSTITUTIONS AND SYSTEMS. -FIELD BUI

BLUE LINE COALITION: THE BLUE LINE COALITION, CONVENED BY THE ALLIANCE, IS ROOTED IN THE BLACK, INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC) AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES THAT WILL BE MOST IMPACTED BY THE METRO BLUE LINE LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION PROJECT. SINCE 2013, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE GOVERNMENT LEADERS RECOGNIZE THE PROJECT IS A RACIAL JUSTICE AND REGIONAL EQUITY ISSUE AND THAT COMMUNITY INCLUSION AND LEADERSHIP MUST BE CENTRAL TO ALL PLANNING AND OUTCOMES. WITH THE UNEXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN ALIGNMENT CHANGE TO THE PLANNED ROUTE, THE COALITION TOOK TIME TO BUILD INTERNAL CAPACITY, ADD NEW MEMBERS, AND BEGIN RENEWED EFFORTS TO ORGANIZE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND BLUE LINE ALIGNMENT DECISIONS. THE COALITION SECURED A SEAT ON AN ANTI-DISPLACEMENT COMMITTEE FOR THE NEW ROUTE, WHICH IS BEING RUN BY THE CENTER FOR URBAN AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, ON BEHALF OF HENNEPIN COUNTY. WE ALSO PUBLISHED A STRONG POLICY PLATFORM, WHICH WILL GUIDE OUR WORK INTO THE FUTURE, AND ADAPTED THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES & SCORECARD FOR COMMUNITY USE AS DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT DECISIONS ARE MADE ALONG THE CORRIDOR.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES TO BE AN AREA OF URGENT NEED IN OUR REGION. DESPITE THE EMERGENCY CREATED BY THE PANDEMIC AND UPRISINGS IN THE REGION, WE CONTINUED OUR LONG-TERM VISION FOR HOUSING JUSTICE, WORKING WITH LOCAL COALITIONS TO ADVOCATE WITH RENTERS OF COLOR FOR IMPROVED TENANT SCREENING PRACTICES, INCLUSIONARY ZONING, RENT STABILIZATION, EVICTION PREVENTION, AND OTHER HOUSING POLICY REFORMS. HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2021 INCLUDE: HOUSING EQUITY NOW ST. PAUL: THE ALLIANCE CO-CONVENED HOUSING EQUITY NOW ST. PAUL (HENS), A SUCCESSFUL GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN THAT WON A MONUMENTAL BALLOT MEASURE TO MAKE ST. PAUL THE FIRST CITY IN MINNESOTA WITH A RENT STABILIZATION ORDINANCE. THE NEW ORDINANCE MEANS THAT RENT CAN BE RAISED A MAXIMUM OF 3 PERCENT ANNUAL FOR ST. PAUL TENANTS, ESTABLISHING A FAIRER AND MORE PREDICTABLE HOUSING MARKET FOR RENTERS. HOUSING JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE ALLIANCE PARTICIPATES IN THIS MINNEAPOLIS COALITION WHERE COLLECTIVELY WE AMPLIFY THE VOICE OF TENANTS IN THE SHAPING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF HOUSING JUSTICE POLICIES. WE WORKED WITH THIS COALITION TO SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATE FOR A RENT STABILIZATION BALLOT INITIATIVE, WHICH PASSED IN NOVEMBER. IN MINNEAPOLIS, THIS VICTORY GAVE POWER TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER POLICY OPTIONS FOR A FUTURE RENT STABILIZATION POLICY THAT WILL WORK FOR THE CITY'S TENANTS. THE COALITION ALSO MADE PROGRESS ON PASSING A TENANT OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE POLICY FOR MINNEAPOLIS, WHICH WOULD GIVE TENANTS THE FIRST RIGHT TO PURCHASE A PROPERTY IF THE LANDLORD CHOOSES TO SELL, PROVIDING A PATHWAY TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT AND WIDESPREAD GENTRIFICATION. MAKE HOMES HAPPEN: THE ALLIANCE IS A MEMBER OF THIS TABLE OF 45+ HOUSING ADVOCATES WORKING TOGETHER TO PRESERVE AND CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TO PROTECT TENANTS' RIGHTS IN MINNEAPOLIS. TO ADVANCE THIS GOAL, THE COALITION HELD A SERIES OF MAYORAL AND CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUMS TO GIVE RESIDENTS A CHANCE TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM CANDIDATES ABOUT THEIR COMMITMENT TO KEEPING HOMES SAFE, HEALTHY, AND AFFORDABLE IN THE CITY.

EQUITY IN PLACE: THE ALLIANCE HAS CONVENED THE EQUITY IN PLACE COALITION FOR YEARS, ENSURING THAT BIPOC COMMUNITIES ARE AT THE CENTER OF THE REGIONAL CONVERSATION ON GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT. WE BRING PUBLIC SECTOR AND COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS TOGETHER AROUND THE UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THRIVE, AND THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT MUST REFLECT THE NEEDS AND DESIRES OF RESIDENTS. OUR GOALS ARE TO ENSURE THAT BIPOC PEOPLE CAN MEANINGFULLY IMPACT IMPORTANT REGIONAL DISCUSSIONS, AND THAT RESIDENTS HAVE AN AVENUE TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. IN 2021 OUR PRIORITIES INCLUDED: STATEWIDE EVICTIONS MORATORIUM: UNDERSTANDING CLEARLY THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR ECONOMY AND HOUSING MARKETS, WE WERE A VOICE CALLING FOR A STATEWIDE EVICTION MORATORIUM FROM VERY EARLY IN THE COVID-19 CRISIS. AS THE MORATORIUM WAS PHASED OUT, WE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED TO PROTECT TENANTS WHO HAVE A PENDING APPLICATION FOR STATE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE, ENSURING THAT PEOPLE CAN STAY HOUSED WHILE THEY WAIT TO HEAR BACK ON THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR RENT SUPPORT. POLICY AGENDA AND ADVOCACY: THE COALITION PUBLISHED OUR STATEWIDE POLICY AGENDA, FOCUSED ON EMERGENCY PROTECTIONS TO END THE EPIDEMIC OF HOUSING INJUSTICE IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THIS DROVE THE COALITION'S ADVOCACY IN PARTICULAR FOR AN EQUITABLE OFF-RAMP TO THE EVICTIONS MORATORIUM AND FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS TO KEEP RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS HOUSED.

REGIONAL EQUITY PROJECT: THROUGH THE REGIONAL EQUITY PROJECT, THE ALLIANCE BUILDS AND CONVENES COALITIONS THAT ADVANCE EQUITY IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION. ONE ASPECT OF THE REGIONAL EQUITY PROJECT IS THE BUSINESS RESOURCE COLLECTIVE (BRC). CONVENED BY THE ALLIANCE, THIS COALITION OF MORE THAN 20 CULTURALLY- AND/OR GEOGRAPHICALLY-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS FORMED IN 2021 TO SUPPORT BIPOC SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF, RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE IN HENNEPIN AND RAMSEY COUNTIES. WE DEVELOPED A SHARED VISION THAT BRC AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS WILL WORK TOGETHER TO RESHAPE OUR FRAGMENTED SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, FUNDING, AND REQUIREMENTS INTO AN ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPORT THAT WORKS TOGETHER TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES THRIVE. IN LATE 2021, WE CREATED A SHARED POLICY PLATFORM, WHICH RECOMMENDED THAT 1.5 BILLION OF THE STATE'S REMAINING AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT DOLLARS BE INVESTED INTO THE ECOSYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS BIPOC SMALL BUSINESSES, SOLE-PROPRIETORS, MICRO-BUSINESSES AND CREATIVE BUSINESSES TO ACHIEVE EQUITABLE ECONOMIC RECOVERY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES & SCORECARD IS A TOOL THAT IS HOUSED WITHIN THE REGIONAL EQUITY PROJECT. THE ALLIANCE AND PARTNERS CREATED AND ADVOCATE FOR ADOPTION OF THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES & SCORECARD, WHICH IS A CONCRETE TOOL MULTI-SECTOR NETWORKS ARE USING TO ENSURE THAT THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE, EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL RESIDENTS. AND CONVENES A GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS WHO CHAMPION ITS USE TO ADVANCE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE REGION. IN 2021, A TABLE OF SCORECARD EXPERTS WORKED WITH THE ALLIANCE TO ADD A LIVABILITY SECTION, WHICH PROVIDES A NEW LENS THROUGH WHICH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, DEVELOPERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN DETERMINE WHETHER NEW DEVELOPMENT MEETS THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF HEALTH EQUITY AND COLLECTIVE WELLBEING. WE CONTINUE TO AND TRAIN COMMUNITIES AND PUBLIC AGENCIES IN USING THE SCORECARD TO ADVANCE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT. THESE PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED LARGELY BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS, LOCAL AND NATIONAL FOUNDATIONS.