Families Can’t Wait!
The families of Scott and Carver counties will have to wait even longer while Met Council decisions delay the homes at Prairie Pointe.
After months of organizing work by Beacon leaders, the staff of the MET Council’s Community Development Committee made the decision that there would be no Project Based Vouchers available in 2021. There was no formal vote made by council members on the committee.
Supportive housing developments which serve those at the lowest income, and those with a history of homelessness, are not possible without the rental assistance Project Based Vouchers provide.
That is why Beacon leaders, who are frustrated by the lack of transparency and public input around these vouchers, are organizing a campaign this summer and fall to ensure that the MET Council supports an annual, transparent process for awarding Project Based Vouchers in the future.
Since January of 2021, when Beacon was notified that the Project Based Vouchers request for Prairie Pointe would not move forward, leaders reached out to staff early for clarity. Clarity on new timelines, specific processes, and how the Community Development Committee takes formal action.
Community Development staff declined to have that conversation…
Beacon leaders were told that they would have the opportunity to make their case after an informational hearing on Project Based Vouchers on March 1, claiming there wouldn’t be any new details or information on the vouchers until that time.
Three business days after the informational meeting, Community Development Committee staff alerted leaders of their final decision: To not offer any Project Based Vouchers in 2021.
“We were caught completely off guard,” said one Beacon leader. “We were told it was an informational meeting only. We didn’t even have a chance to meet with staff or the committee.”
Leaders continued to reach out to committee members, trying to set up conversations about the need for Project Based Vouchers and the importance of public input into the decision-making process. Only 4 of the 10 committee members agreed to meet.
During the May 17 Community Development Committee meeting, a motion was made by Council Member Judy Johnson and seconded by Council Member Susan Vento to reopen the conversation on Project Based Vouchers at their June 7 meeting with public input as a business item. This would result in formal action.
Days later, Beacon leaders were informed that the decision had been reversed, and the Project Based Vouchers would not be on the agenda as a business item. Details of how the public could input were made available one business day before the June 7 meeting.
“We were blocked at every turn,” said Beacon Organizer Justin Lewandowski. “The challenges our leaders faced did not reflect the stated principles of the MET Council’s Public Engagement Plan.”
“How can we hold unelected decision makers accountable? Public input matters,” insisted Maddalin Zimmerman, a leader from Waconia Moravian. She was not alone in her disappointment.
“We have overcome so much. But right now, our biggest roadblock is Project Based Vouchers,” said Tom Francis, a leader from Hope Lutheran in Jordan. “We need to organize to change this whole system and make it easier for developers like Beacon to build the supportive housing we need for the families in our communities.”
Despite the challenges faced this year, Beacon Leaders are eager to continue working with Council Members and staff around the shared value of collaboration; developing relationships, dialogue, and understanding the value residents and communities bring to the table.
With the decision made to make vouchers unavailable this year, Beacon leaders are organizing for long term solutions, and gearing up for a collaborative wide campaign around the MET Council’s Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan.
This process will lead to a vote in September and will determine whether or not an annual process for awarding Project Based Vouchers will be adopted. Thus, making it easier for developers like Beacon to build deeply affordable, supportive housing like Prairie Pointe!
To join the campaign action team, or to learn more about how you can get involved, email Justin Lewandowski at jlewandowski@beaconinterfaith.org or call 320-250-6630.
Read Lee Blons testimony to the MET Councils Community Development Committee here.
