Legislative Advocacy Alert                                     March 28, 2012
 

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____________________
Dear  , 

 

This a decisive moment for the affordable housing bonding bill. Today, the Senate released its bonding proposal which included $30 million for supportive housing and $6 million for public housing. We need to support this momentum and ask you to call today to speak up for affordable and supportive housing.  

 

Housing bonds would be used to acquire, rehabilitate, and preserve affordable housing across Minnesota.    

 

Who should I reach out to?

  • Please see list below.

What are some sample talking points for my call/email?

 

  • Community-based nonprofits serving homeless households wish to expand the supply of affordable and supportive housing, and will often rely on public bonds to complete production or rehabilitation.
  • Please support the Senate's proposed $36 million in housing infrastructure bonds.
  • The House bonding bill only offers $15 million--not enough to complete the two proposed housing projects for veterans and the housing project for homeless youth in Duluth.

PLEASE CALL TODAY

  

The legislative session is ending soon and this may be our last chance to make a difference. Hearth Connection has been asked to mobilize its allies today in support of the Senate's recent bonding bill.  Please call or email the legislators listed below and let them know that you are supportive of $36 million in housing infrastructure bonds, which would provide $30 million for affordable and supportive housing infrastructure and $6 million for public housing preservation.

 

Legislators listed below are divided roughly according to our Regional Projects: Metro, Northeast, and South.  Please focus on a few legislators in your project area, or split up the list among your team:

 

Key Legislators to Contact, Listed by Region leg

 

Legislator

Affiliation

District

Town

 

      METRO

 

 

Sen. Michael Jungbauer

(R)

48

East Bethel

Sen. Chris Gerlach

(R)

37

Apple Valley

Sen. James Metzen

(DFL)

39

South St. Paul

Sen. Charles Wiger

(DFL)

55

Maplewood

Rep. Mary Liz Holberg

(R), CHAIR, Ways and Means Cmte

 36A

Lakeville

Rep. Keith Downey

(R), Vice Chair, Ways and Means Cmte

41A 

Edina

Rep. Ann Lenczewksi

(DFL)

 40B

Bloomington

Rep. Denny McNamara

(R)

57B 

Hastings 

Rep. Jean Wagenius

 (DFL)

62B 

Minneapolis

 

     NORTHEAST

 

 

Sen. John Carlson

(R)

4

Bemidji

Sen. Gretchen Hoffman

(R)

10

Vergas

Sen. David Tomassoni

(DFL)

5

Chisholm

Rep. Larry Howes

 (R)

 4B

 Walker

Rep. Thomas Huntley

 (DFL)

7A 

Duluth

Rep. Tom Rukavina

 (DFL)

5A

Virginia

 

      SOUTH

 

 

Sen. David Senjem

(R), CHAIR, Capital Investment Cmte

29

Rochester

Sen. Jeremy Miller

(R)

31

Winona

Sen. Carla Nelson

(R)

30

Rochester

Sen. Julie Rosen

(R)

24

Fairmont

Rep. Bob Gunther

 (R), CHAIR, Jobs and Economic Dev. Finance Cmte

 24A

Fairmont

Rep. Rod Hamilton

 (R)

 22B

Mountain Lake 

Rep. Gene Pelowski Jr.

 (DFL)

31A 

Winona

  

Contact information is available by clicking on each Representative or Senator's name in the table above.

 

A sample message:

 

"I strongly support the Senate bonding proposal for $36 million for supportive and public housing projects. I wish to thank the Senate for its investment in ending homelessness and ask House members to make housing a higher priority in their bonding proposal.  We have to do more to help Minnesotans struggling to find decent and affordable housing."

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (651) 645-0676 or reply to this email.

 

Thank you, as always, for your commitment to ending homelessness in Minnesota.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Richard Hooks Wayman

Executive Director

Hearth Connection