think that they are very correct that the 2040 Plan is really a moral document.
What is important to us and what do we want to focus on.
Carol Becker
Longfellow
https://www.jewishcommunityaction.org/blog/201807/693
In the Jewish tradition, when two parties decide to marry, they sign a ketubah.
A Ketubah is a prenuptial agreement between the two parties, and outlines what
each party is responsible for throughout the marriage. At Jewish Community
Action, we donât intend on marrying any other organization, but we do believe
that the policies our governments enact are moral documents. Across the Twin
Cities Metro area, cities are required to submit Comprehensive Plans by the end
of 2018 to the Met Council that vision what they will look like by the year
2040, and how they plan to get there. JCA members across Hennepin county are
reviewing the Comp Plans in their cities and making sure our values of housing
as a human right are properly represented.
The proposed Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan has stirred significant
discussion within the city and across the region. As an organization with over
20 years of working on economic justice issues, with a significant focus on
housing, we feel obligated to share comments on our top three priorities.
The most discussed aspect of The Plan is outlined in Policy #1, which calls to
diversify the types of housing that can be built across the city by rezoning
the city for higher density. To summarize what JCAâs housing organizer said in
City Lab earlier this year, density must be tied to affordability requirements.
The market will never produce housing that is affordable for low income and
extremely low income people on its own, and we must be steadfast in our
commitment to providing deeply affordable housing.
We share concerns that upzoning could lead to development and gentrification
that only further displaces communities that have called Minneapolis home for
decades, as well as marginalized communities: immigrants, communities of
color, the elderly, and the poor.
Jewish Community Action fully supports a strong Inclusionary Zoning Policy
(also known as Mixed Income Housing), that would require 25% of all new
developments to be affordable at 50% of the Area Median Income or below across
the city. We would also encourage the ordinance call for a higher percentage
of affordable units along transit routes.
We know Minneapolis will continue to grow in population, and we believe
everyone should have a choice in where they want to live. Inclusionary Zoning
is a key tool to ensuring we can grow and improve our neighborhoods while
keeping our same neighbors.
Jewish Community Action is a proud member of the Make Homes Happen Coalition.
Make Homes Happen is a coalition of 35 organizations that are advocating for
dedicated, local funding for affordable housing by committing $50 Million per
year for 10 years to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. This money can be used
for affordable housing development, preservation, enforcement of tenant
protections, and to provide additional rental subsidies that would reach deep
affordability akin to 30% of area median income. Additionally, Make Homes
Happen believes any potential revenue streams to make funding possible should
not put a burden at the most marginalized in our community, and we implore the
city to seek progressive revenue sources that would have the lowest impact on
low income individuals and families.
At JCA, we stand in solidarity with renters, and we implore the city to deeply
engage low income and working class renters to enact tenant protections that
reflect changes predicated on the communityâs experiences. Additionally, we
support: extending Just Cause Protections to the private market, Capping
Security Deposit & Application Fee Amounts, a Repair & Deduct ordinance, âBan
the Boxâ for Rental Applications, Advanced Notice of Sale and/or Right of First
Refusal, and reforming the Conduct on Premises ordinance.
Minneapolis is the leader of our region. As it continues to grow, the City
must be explicit that racial and economic inequality are central issues to be
confronted headon. We cannot say ânoâ to the process of planning for our
future. It is critically important to ask âwho benefits?â and âwho loses?â when
considering visions and policies laid out before us. We encourage our members
to engage with the plan & our comments and submit comments themselves. The City
is accepting comments through July 22nd on the website
https://minneapolis2040.com/
Like a Ketubah, the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive plan outlines our shared
commitment to each other. Jewish tradition teaches us that we are all
bâtzelem ehlohim or made in the image of God. We believe if the City of
Minneapolis makes a commitment to what we have outlined, we will be one step
closer to actualizing that belief through public policy.