On February 6th, MHP hosted a webinar, Building for the Future: Competitive Applications for HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program to provide information about HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) and explore what makes a successful GRRP application. A recording of the event, and slide deck are now available. See HUD’s recently updated GRRP landing page.
Housing Narrative Change Webinar 4: Putting Research into Practice
Thank you for participating in our virtual event on January 29th, Putting Research into Practice. This was the final installment in our four-part narrative change webinar series. All resources relating to the statewide housing narrative change project are available on MHP’s Narrative Change Project webpage.
In this webinar the Housing Narrative Lab provided message guidance and examples of how to use the findings from the research into your policies, campaigns, strategic communications, and content creation.
Housing Narrative Change Webinar 3: Research & Findings
Thank you for participating in our virtual event on January 23rd, Research & Findings. In this webinar we explored the results of the research! Led by the Housing Narrative Lab and Lake Research Partners.
Join us for a 2024 Legislative Preview
Thursday, February 8, 8:00-9:30am • Carpenters Union Hall • 730 Olive St, St. Paul, MN 55130
Join Minnesota Legislators, political insiders, and other housing advocates as we preview Minnesota’s 2024 Legislative Session. Networking will begin at 8:00 am with a program running from 8:30 to 9:30 am. Light breakfast and coffee will also be provided.
Please consider supporting this event! Contact Luke Avery for more information.
MHP’s Year-End Celebration
A message from Anne Mavity, Executive Director
As we approach 2024, a huge thank you to all of our partners for everything we accomplished this past year—$2B in funding for housing plus $9.9M in tax credits available to Minnesota taxpayers, in addition to MHP’s data-based research publications, and our community development work providing technical assistance to communities in every corner of the state and beyond.
As Governor Walz said last night, it truly takes a village. To achieve our ambitious goals for 2024, MHP has raised more than $2 million for our fiscal year that began on October 1, and we’re looking to the community to secure an additional $900,000 for the coming year. This is what it takes to accomplish all that we do, and we’re confident that with the support of our partners, we can achieve our goals to advance affordable housing in Minnesota and beyond.
Thank you for supporting MHP! For organizational and corporate contributions, please contact Luke Avery at Luke.avery@mhponline.org. For individual contributions, consider MHP for your year-end giving and click this link to support our mission.
Housing Narrative Change Webinar 2: Moving People to Action
Thank you for participating in our virtual event on December 6th, Elements of narrative and building narrative power: Moving people to action. This was the second in the series of four webinars on narrative change. Presentation was courtesy of Marisol Bello, Executive Director of the Housing Narrative Lab (HNL). This webinar explores elements of the narrative ecosystem – values, research, framing, story, message, and strategic communications.
Take 5 with MHP’s Leah Hall
Take Five is MHP’s series that asks the same five questions of a variety of people intersecting with MHP, from staff to housing advocates! Leah Hall joins MHP as the new Director of Community Development.
Leah Hall
Q1. What is your name and title?
Leah Hall, Director of Community Development
Q2. What attracted you to working with MHP?
It was definitely the MHP mission and values! I was born/raised in a small rural community in northern Minnesota, and I have had the privilege of serving rural communities for 20+ years; I am very passionate about lifting up the incredible strengths that rural community members have and finding ways to best support them as they create home-grown solutions to local community development challenges. Prior to coming to MHP, I had the opportunity to work with MHP staff in communities across Minnesota as they moved MHP’s mission forward through on-the-ground community planning and development work, as well as policy/advocacy work that incorporates the voices of rural communities and housing practitioners.
In summary, I think MHP’s mission/vision and values reflect how I believe communities, especially rural communities, deserve to be served.
Q3. What’s a challenge in the field of housing right now?
There are a lot of challenges out there right now in the housing field, but one key challenge that I would highlight is access to housing resources. Many communities across the state and nation face significant challenges navigating the complexities that go along with accessing state and federal housing funding opportunities (as well as some large foundation funds) and other services needed to create housing solutions. In addition, some communities just cannot qualify for funds/services they need because they do not meet certain selection criteria. I think this is especially true in rural communities and Native Nations that have been historically underserved and excluded from opportunities that have a direct impact on their ability to develop housing solutions that fit the unique needs of community members. I do want to add that I think MHP plays a key role in assisting communities most impacted by housing disparities find ways to both access the resources they need, as well as advocating for change at the state and federal level.
Q4. Is there a book by your bed, and what is it?
So, I have to admit, I am usually either reading the news on my phone before I go to bed or, I have been known to read housing funding/compliance rules and regulations published by the state or federal government (it is much, much more effective than counting sheep!).
Q5. Who is your superhero?
Wonder Woman!
MHP is grateful to the AmeriCorps VISTA program and Sponsoring Organization HOME Line.
Look out for more Take 5 profiles coming soon!
Housing Narrative Change Webinar 1: What is Narrative and Why it Matters
Thank you for participating in our virtual event on January 29th, Putting Research into Practice. This was the first installment in our four-part narrative change webinar series. All resources relating to the statewide housing narrative change project are available on MHP’s Narrative Change Project webpage.
In this webinar the Housing Narrative Lab provided a guided presentation on what is narrative, how it works and why it is so important to our work.
MHP Concludes the 8th Housing Institute
Since 2010, MHP’s Housing Institute model has brought together regionalized housing leaders and stakeholders to share their experiences, learn best practices, and develop creative solutions for bringing quality affordable housing to their communities. MHP has recently concluded the 2022-23 institute cohort which featured 4 teams from southern Minnesota: Janesville, Wabasha, Winnebago, and Winona.
Join us for “Housing Strategies for a Better World” with Dr. Jenny Schuetz
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 • DoubleTree by Hilton St. Paul Downtown
3:30-4 pm: Registration • 4 to 5:15 pm: Keynote Event • 5:15 – 7 pm: Appetizers/Mingle
Join us for a discussion of housing strategies for a better world, featuring Dr. Jenny Schuetz. Dr. Schuetz is a Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro and the author of Fixer-Upper: How to Repair America’s Broken Housing System, in which she assesses how the broad set of local, state, and national housing policies affect people and communities. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, PBS News Hour, Washington Post and more.
Register Here to Attend!
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