January 2025 news from Beacon 🎆
The Aragon is moving ahead!
We’re excited to announce that on December 11, 2024, after four public hearings and months of conversations, land use passed, allowing for the zoning and conditional use permit for The Aragon.
A big “thank you” goes to all who raised their voices in support of more needed affordable homes in St. Paul. We also offer thanks to the leadership of the St. Paul City Council, who worked for hours to ensure the public was heard as they made their decision.
Thanks to the tremendous work of Beacon staff and advocates, Beacon and its partners will move to the next stage of developing 50+ affordable homes for families on the East Side of St. Paul.
Once again, our community of housing advocates played a crucial role in advancing affordable housing by attending multiple St. Paul City Council meetings.
When our community works together, we can move mountains (and build homes)!
You can learn more about The Aragon by visiting the Beacon website.
What can spiritual traditions teach us about affordable housing? Three Twin Cities faith leaders offer insight.
Beacon’s Director of Congregational Organizing, Rev. Emily Goldthwaite, Pastor Kirsten Fryer of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in the Hamline Midway neighborhood, and Father John Mitchell of St. Pascal Baylon Catholic Church in St. Paul took time recently to reflect together on what sustains them as they work to advocate for affordable, supportive housing.
While agreeing that the work has both challenges and rewards, they each took a different perspective on how this mission relates to their values and the story of Christmas.
Referencing the author Ken Bailey, Pastor Kirsten observed that Jesus was born “with the support of other people. Mary and Joseph were not alone…in fact, they were surrounded by people who not only gave them a place to stay but also made sure they had what they needed. Jesus was born amidst supportive housing.”
Read Emily’s blog post to discover more.
Housing First, supportive housing, affordable housing—What’s the difference?
Ensuring all individuals have a home requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. To meet the specific needs of our residents, Beacon relies on several housing models.
Housing First focuses on getting chronically homeless individuals off the streets and into housing. Housing First meets residents where they’re at. Once residents have their basic need for shelter met, they can focus on accessing supportive services and pursuing sobriety, physical health, or goals like employment or education.
Supportive housing combines affordable homes with on-site services like counseling, parenting support, and vocational coaching to help individuals and families stay in their homes and pursue goals beyond housing.
Affordable housing helps low-income households afford rent without paying over 30% of their income.
All three models aim to provide stable homes, but they address different needs and offer varying levels of support.
Use the search bar on our website to find information on any of the housing models mentioned above.
Resident spotlight: Tanika
When life throws you for a loop, it helps to have a stable, supportive place to call home.
Tanika, a resident of Nicollet Square, can testify to that.
“Success is when you actually work hard to get somewhere you want to be. You fight to become who you want to be.”
Discover the rest of Tanika’s story by visiting our blog.
Join us for a special screening
Beacon invites you to a film screening of SHAME OF CHICAGO, SHAME OF THE NATION. This five-part documentary series examines systemic housing segregation in our city and suburbs throughout the 20th century.
The series illustrates how these policies not only shaped Chicago but also served as a model for other American cities, deepening the wealth gap between Blacks and whites nationwide.
This is more than just a documentary series. It’s an urgent educational tool designed to open eyes, join hearts, spark debate, and inspire action. Discussions will follow each showing.
This event is made possible by Christ the King, Mount Olivet Lutheran Church of Plymouth, Oak Knoll, and Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka.
Sign up today by clicking here.
Why Beacon supports Our Future Starts at Home
Last month, we announced our support for the “Our Future Starts at Home” campaign, which aims to create ongoing funds for housing through an amendment to the state constitution.
This campaign builds on the success of the Bring it Home, Minnesota campaign, which established a new state rental assistance program to distribute around 5,000 new rental assistance vouchers annually.
Because of the importance of Our Future Starts at Home, we’d like to again share the article we wrote that explains more about the campaign, its goals, and how it aligns with Beacon’s mission.
Discover more about our next legislative priority and how you can be part of making history by visiting our blog.
Featured event: Start with Home Rally
Join us for our third annual Start with Home Rally on January 21 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the State Capitol.
Together with other housing advocates and leaders, we’ll unite our voices and make it clear to our representatives that the Beacon community supports legislation that:
➡ Sustains and builds affordable homes
➡ Bolsters access to affordable housing
➡ Preserves past investments in housing
Let’s pack the capitol rotunda again and ensure this legislative session “starts with home!”
Other upcoming events
Rent is Due on January 8 from 8:30 to 9 a.m.
Vista 44 building tour on January 22 from 1 to 2 p.m.
Lobby Day – Minneapolis Districts on February 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
