Advocacy at CommonBond: 2024 End of the Legislative Session

Advocacy at CommonBond: 2024 End of the Legislative Session

For over 50 years, CommonBond Communities has worked to build stable homes, strong futures, and vibrant communities. We do this by providing affordable housing and life-enhancing services to residents at each of our 100+ housing communities. However, this important work has to be paired with macro-level systems change for us to build truly vibrant, equitable communities for all. 

This is where our advocacy and policy work come into play. May 19, 2024, marked the end of the Minnesota state legislative session. As an important supporter and citizen, we want to give you an update on what happened, and what could affect our work here at CommonBond. 

One notable piece of legislation passed this year was the creation of the The Housing Affordability Preservation Program. Why does this matter? 

• Reinvesting in existing affordable housing is required to keep properties up to standards we can all be proud of. Unlike market rate housing, rents from low-income households do not cover operating costs, debts, or capital improvements. That is why reinvestment is so crucial! CommonBond stewards some of the oldest and largest portfolios in the state.
• $50 million of previously allocated funds will be dedicated to preserving distressed affordable housing properties, with $15 million earmarked for supportive housing – which combines quality affordable housing with extensive support services designed to help individuals with the highest barriers to accessing and maintaining housing. CommonBond operates several hundred supportive housing units in developments like Upper Post and in units within general population developments. 

We continue to bring our perspective as an affordable housing provider and support residents in raising their own voices to funders and public policy makers. We did this in the Minnesota legislative session by: 

• Working in coalition with others: In order to have the greatest impact, it’s important that we work in partnership with other housing and services providers across the Twin Cities and nationally. A new housing stability coalition this year included Greater MN and Family Housing Funds, LISC and McKnight Foundation, Beacon Interfaith, Aeon, Hope Community, Project for Pride in Living, and many others.
• Participating in Minnesota’s Homeless Day on the Hill: During this annual event, community members and groups gather at the capitol to advocate, lobby, and meet with elected officials. It is organized by Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, and CommonBond staff were proud, as we have been in previous years, to attend on March 20, 2024.
• CommonBond Advocacy Responders (CAR): CommonBond’s internal committee works to connect public policy to the practical implications of our work. We involve staff in various roles and locations in discussions around funding and policy issues to ground our advocacy work.
• Supporting the next generation in finding their voice: Teen residents from CommonBond’s Torre de San Miguel in Saint Paul spoke to their legislators about the importance of reinvesting in their homes and invited the state rep to come to the site to meet with the community. This is just one example of our youth and teen programming that helps young people understand that their voices have power and can be a source of change in their community.
• Leadership representing the field: CommonBond’s President and CEO Deidre Schmidt and other staff are leading voices in the field. We provide testimony on specific legislation, engage with elected and professional public staff to refine systems, and serve on taskforces aimed at improving and making the provision of housing and services more efficient.