Alliance For Metropolitan Stability

THE ALLIANCE IS A COALITION OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCACY GROUPS WITH A MISSION TO BUILD POWER ACROSS THE INTERSECTIONS OF GEOGRAPHY, RACE, CULTURE, AND ISSUES IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION TO ELIMINATE SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION AND ADVANCE OUR COLLECTIVE LIBERATION. WE ENVISION A VIBRANT REGION WHERE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS, POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND INVESTMENTS ARE CENTERED IN THE NEEDS AND EXPERTISE OF LOW-WEALTH PEOPLE AND BLACK, INDIGENOUS, IMMIGRANT, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR; HISTORICAL HARMS ARE ADDRESSED; AND OUR HEALING, BELONGING, AND PROSPERITY ARE PRIORITIZED IN DECISIONS ABOUT OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE COMMUNITIES. THE ALLIANCE HAS 35 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS AND WE BUILD COALITIONS THAT ENGAGE DOZENS OF OTHER ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS IN ADVANCING OUR SHARED VISION FOR AN EQUITABLE REGION THROUGH: -?ORGANIZING COALITIONS: WE ORGANIZE COALITIONS THAT CROSS THE BOUNDARIES OF RACE, CULTURE, GEOGRAPHY, AND ISSUES TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND JUSTICE IN THE WAY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

BLUE LINE COALITION: THE ALLIANCE CONVENES THE BLUE LINE COALITION (BLC), WHICH REPRESENTS MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES ORGANIZING FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS ALONG THE METRO BLUE LINE LRT EXTENSION ROUTE, INCLUDING NORTH MINNEAPOLIS, ROBBINSDALE, BROOKLYN CENTER AND BROOKLYN PARK. THE BLC HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT PRESENCE IN THE CORRIDOR EVER SINCE ITS FORMATION MORE THAN A DECADE AGO. BLC MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS ARE A CRITICAL BRIDGE BETWEEN CORRIDOR RESIDENTS AND CORRIDOR DECISION-MAKERS. BY GATHERING AND SHARING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, BLC HAS INFLUENCED GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO CHANGE THEIR DECISION-MAKING, CONTRACTING, FUNDING, AND PLANNING PROCESSES TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE TO UNDERREPRESENTED AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. BLC MEMBERS HAVE ALSO CONTINUED TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN SKILLS THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN TRAININGS, CONFERENCES, AND WORKSHOPS. IN 2022, THE BLC HAS USED ITS LEADERSHIP POSITION WITHIN HENNEPIN COUNTY'S ANTI-DISPLACEMENT WORKGROUP TO ENSURE STAKEHOLDERS ALONG THE CORRIDOR ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY PLANNING FOR TRANSIT EQUITY, RACIAL JUSTICE, HOUSING STABILITY, ECONOMIC JUSTICE, AND CLIMATE EQUITY. THE WORKGROUP'S FINAL REPORT RELEASED THIS YEAR WILL INFLUENCE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND REFLECTS BLC'S VISION TO BRING INVESTMENT TO THE CORRIDOR, BEGINNING AN EXPLICITLY RESTORATIVE PROCESS TO REVERSE DECADES OF DISINVESTMENT AND RACIST POLICIES THAT HAVE KEPT OUR COMMUNITIES FROM BUILDING WEALTH, POWER, AND INFLUENCE.

ALL OTHER PROGRAMS.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: THE ALLIANCE CONVENES AND CONTRIBUTES TO SEVERAL COALITIONS THAT ARE CREATING PATHWAYS TO HOUSING STABILITY AND HOUSING JUSTICE FOR LOW-WEALTH PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN OUR COMMUNITIES. HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2022 INCLUDE: -HOUSING JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE ALLIANCE IS A MEMBER OF THE HOUSING JUSTICE LEAGUE, A COALITION ADVANCING TENANT PROTECTION POLICIES IN MINNEAPOLIS. WE'RE WORKING TO BUILD THE POLITICAL WILL TO PASS A TENANT OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE ORDINANCE THAT WOULD GIVE TENANTS FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL WHEN A MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTY IS MADE AVAILABLE FOR SALE. THIS IS A PROVEN WEALTH- BUILDING PROGRAM WITH THE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE BUILDING CAPACITY FOR RENTERS TO BECOME INDIVIDUAL OR COOPERATIVE OWNERS OF RENTAL PROPERTIES. -EQUITY IN PLACE: THE ALLIANCE CONVENES THE EQUITY IN PLACE COALITION, A DIVERSE GROUP OF STRATEGIC PARTNERS FROM BIPOC-LED AND HOUSING ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS THAT BELIEVE EVERYONE DESERVES TO LIVE WHERE THEY WANT TO AND HAVE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY. IN 2022, WE CO-CREATED A NEW EFFORT WITH TENANT LEADERS AROUND THE METRO TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE LANDLORDS WHO ARE UNJUSTLY RAISING RENT IN PROPERTIES THAT ARE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED TO BE "AFFORDABLE." WE ALSO CREATED A STATEWIDE POLICY AGENDA FOCUSED ON HOLDING LEADERS AND LAWMAKERS ACCOUNTABLE TO ADOPTING LASTING SYSTEMS CHANGE THAT DELIVERS JUSTICE AND EQUITY FOR RENTERS AND OUR COMMUNITIES. THE COALITION ALSO CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS AT THE STATE LEVEL TO ENSURE THAT MANY ALLIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAXIMIZE BENEFITS TO BIPOC COMMUNITIES AND LOW-WEALTH TENANTS.

REGIONAL EQUITY PROJECT: THROUGH THE REGIONAL EQUITY PROJECT, THE ALLIANCE BUILDS AND CONVENES COALITIONS THAT ADVANCE EQUITY IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION. THIS WORK INCLUDES: -THE ALLIANCE CONVENES THE BUSINESS RESOURCE COLLECTIVE, AN INTENTIONAL, COMMUNITY-LED SPACE TO CRAFT STRATEGIES THAT WILL MOVE US TOWARD A MINNESOTA WHERE THRIVING BIPOC BUSINESSES BUILD AND SUSTAIN THE CULTURE, WEALTH AND ECONOMIC VITALITY OF OUR COMMUNITIES. IN 2022, WE DEVELOPED AND ADVOCATED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PACKAGE TO BRING STATE RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO BIPOC SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA, WITH ATTENTION TO CRAFTING LANGUAGE THAT ALLOWS FOR INVESTMENT IN MICROBUSINESSES, HOME-BASED BUSINESSES AND OTHER STRUCTURES COMMON IN OUR COMMUNITIES. WE REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE GOAL OF SHIFTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SMALL BUSINESS POLICY AT THE LOCAL, COUNTY AND STATE LEVELS TO BENEFIT THE BIPOC SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM, INCLUDING TARGETING DEED INVESTMENTS AND THE STATE SURPLUS. -THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES & SCORECARD IS A TOOL TO ANSWER THE QUESTION: "HOW CAN DEVELOPMENT REPAIR PAST HARMS AND CONTRIBUTE TO A STRONGER, MORE INCLUSIVE AND THRIVING COMMUNITY?" THIS TOOL PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK TO RECLAIM POWER AND ENSURE THAT DEVELOPMENT IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROJECT BUT RATHER BECOMES AN INTEGRAL PIECE OF A COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT TO CREATE WEALTH, OPPORTUNITY AND STABILITY FOR HISTORICALLY AND SYSTEMICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. ALLIANCE STAFF CONVENES INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS AND ENGAGED LEADERS ON A REGULAR BASIS TO COME TOGETHER AND SHARE THEIR SUCCESSES AND LEARNINGS WITH THE SCORECARD. ORGANIZATIONS AND ENTITIES ACROSS THE REGION ARE NOW ADAPTING AND USING THIS TOOL TO BUILD POWER AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. IN 2022, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, ALLIANCE CO-CONVENED THE FIRST EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM LIFTING UP EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.