Current Campaigns
Mapping The Problem
A recent study by Minnesota Compass found information that reaffirmed the Twin Cities are segregated by race and class.
**Images courtesy of TC Daily Planet
Light Rail, Not White Rail
The Scoop
- The Twin Cities' metro system is rapidly expanding, especially with the addition of the Green Line that connects Minneapolis to St. Paul
- Affordable housing plans are expanding drastically surrounding the metro
- Low-income housing located in and near the city center is predominantly racial minorities
- Racial minorities constitute 40% of Minneapolis and 45% of St. Paul in comparison to a state-wide percentage of 17%. This means that minorities primarily live in the city rather than the suburbs, perpetuating neighborhood segregation.
- More affordable housing in the city center, near the new metro line, would escalate the segregation of the state.
The Solution
- Affordable housing already exists in large numbers in the city and that needs to remain accessible to residents. However, we need to convince the Metropolitan Council to invest in affordable housing developments in the suburbs in order to increase diversity outside of the city center.
- The ideal housing situation would include housing at a variety of price-points in every area. Developments that that have low, median and upper income housing will be economically stable and integrate communities.
-Affordable housing must ACTUALLY BE AFFORDABLE. By including higher-priced housing in the same areas, developers will be able to off-set the costs of lower-priced housing and offer prices that are actually feasible for low-income families.
How
- Hold sit-ins at groundbreaking events for affordable housing complexes in The Twin Cities.
- Film and share stories people tell at the sit-in events to help the broader community of the metro area learn about why affordable housing is important in the suburbs in addition to in the city.
-Occupying the space: by filling the space where developers are planning to build, developers will reevaluate where they are building their developments.
***The groundbreaking sites will serve as a classroom--a space where everyone is a teacher and everyone is a student. Individuals will share their brave stories about why and where they want affordable housing. This will serve to EDUCATE everyone from potential homeowners to developers.
-Convincing developers to invest in affordable housing outside of the city center will help desegregate the city.
Who
YOU.
You can educate everyone, because you have a story rooted in YOUR experience.
Grab your camera, smart phone and self and join us to learn about housing desegregation and SHARE YOUR STORY.
THE LIGHT RAIL MIGHT MAKE IT EASY TO MOVE AROUND THE CITY, BUT WE WILL NOT MOVE UNTIL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLANS ARE RE-EVALUATED.
**Image courtesy of CityPages
- The Twin Cities' metro system is rapidly expanding, especially with the addition of the Green Line that connects Minneapolis to St. Paul
- Affordable housing plans are expanding drastically surrounding the metro
- Low-income housing located in and near the city center is predominantly racial minorities
- Racial minorities constitute 40% of Minneapolis and 45% of St. Paul in comparison to a state-wide percentage of 17%. This means that minorities primarily live in the city rather than the suburbs, perpetuating neighborhood segregation.
- More affordable housing in the city center, near the new metro line, would escalate the segregation of the state.
The Solution
- Affordable housing already exists in large numbers in the city and that needs to remain accessible to residents. However, we need to convince the Metropolitan Council to invest in affordable housing developments in the suburbs in order to increase diversity outside of the city center.
- The ideal housing situation would include housing at a variety of price-points in every area. Developments that that have low, median and upper income housing will be economically stable and integrate communities.
-Affordable housing must ACTUALLY BE AFFORDABLE. By including higher-priced housing in the same areas, developers will be able to off-set the costs of lower-priced housing and offer prices that are actually feasible for low-income families.
How
- Hold sit-ins at groundbreaking events for affordable housing complexes in The Twin Cities.
- Film and share stories people tell at the sit-in events to help the broader community of the metro area learn about why affordable housing is important in the suburbs in addition to in the city.
-Occupying the space: by filling the space where developers are planning to build, developers will reevaluate where they are building their developments.
***The groundbreaking sites will serve as a classroom--a space where everyone is a teacher and everyone is a student. Individuals will share their brave stories about why and where they want affordable housing. This will serve to EDUCATE everyone from potential homeowners to developers.
-Convincing developers to invest in affordable housing outside of the city center will help desegregate the city.
Who
YOU.
You can educate everyone, because you have a story rooted in YOUR experience.
Grab your camera, smart phone and self and join us to learn about housing desegregation and SHARE YOUR STORY.
THE LIGHT RAIL MIGHT MAKE IT EASY TO MOVE AROUND THE CITY, BUT WE WILL NOT MOVE UNTIL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLANS ARE RE-EVALUATED.
**Image courtesy of CityPages
EVENT: Teach-In
Now is YOUR CHANCE to ensure that people in all areas of the metro have access to affordable housing.
JOIN US on Friday, December 12th beginning at 8 AM for a teach-in at 370 W. University Ave.
Join St. Paul NAACP President, Jeffry Martin as he hosts a speaks about the state of segregation due to affordable housing in the Twin Cities.
Mr. Martin will discuss:
1. How and why the Twin Cities are racially segregated
2. Why it matters to EVERYBODY
3. The kinds of sustainable housing that would include homes in at a variety of price points all over the city he is proposing in lieu of the 370 W. development.
YOU can write this story. Join Mr. Martin at the teach-in and be our journalists on the ground using #LightRailNOTWhiteRail
[NOTE: This is a hypothetical event. Mr. Martin has not committed to attending or facilitating.]
JOIN US on Friday, December 12th beginning at 8 AM for a teach-in at 370 W. University Ave.
Join St. Paul NAACP President, Jeffry Martin as he hosts a speaks about the state of segregation due to affordable housing in the Twin Cities.
Mr. Martin will discuss:
1. How and why the Twin Cities are racially segregated
2. Why it matters to EVERYBODY
3. The kinds of sustainable housing that would include homes in at a variety of price points all over the city he is proposing in lieu of the 370 W. development.
YOU can write this story. Join Mr. Martin at the teach-in and be our journalists on the ground using #LightRailNOTWhiteRail
[NOTE: This is a hypothetical event. Mr. Martin has not committed to attending or facilitating.]