Climate and Public Health
Proposal Details of the Mayor's Recommended ARP Spending, Round 1
Corridor Activation
This is one step of many to promote healing and positive activation in the Black community as we take more steps to build and implement a larger vision of an equitable and resilient recovery from COVID-19 and racial trauma. These pop-up style events will help address the need for healing and social cohesion.
Community Food Needs
The number of food shelves and emergency food distributions needed and operating has increased and endured during the pandemic and post-civil unrest. Data from the U of MN shows that the number of free food sites in the city decreased by half between June and September 2020. During that same time, demand for services at remaining sites doubled. A healthy food incentive program will enable residents to purchase healthy food in locations that are convenient and comfortable for them.
This program will work with partners to implement a healthy food access incentives/coupons program for residents at local farmers markets and food retailers in areas with food access gaps. It will build capacity for food shelves, food distribution pop-ups, farmers markets and small food retailers who accept SNAP-EBT. It will support equipment needs and capital improvements in certain sites. It provides fresh food for distribution at local food shelves, pop ups, community organizations. The amount requested would reach between 150-300 households in 2021. The funding would also support a temporary Food Security Program Aide to assist the HGM Coordinator.
Eliminate Childhood Lead Poisoning
In the last 10 years, 1,784 children have been lead poisoned in Minneapolis. We have addressed lead poisoning in their homes only after testing it in their blood leading to a lifetime of negative impacts. We have an affordability crisis we also have a quality of housing crisis in lead hazards. Currently there are over 3,000 children in the Minneapolis schools that were lead poisoned before they entered kindergarten. Due to the age of Minneapolis housing stock, 75% of our residential housing contains lead-based paint hazards. Lack of maintenance on these surfaces results in hazardous lead dust which continues to poison our children long after lead was banned from paint over 40 years ago and will continue to poisoning children and stunt their future potential unless these hazards are removed.
Initiate plan to Eliminate Childhood Lead Poisoning: Lead remediation for all homes with lead contamination starting in the green zones. Complete low-moderate income weatherization, and moderate healthy home repairs.
Open Streets
Ensure Open Streets Minneapolis is successful in 2021 and continues to be a sustainable program that brings economic activity to the Open Street corridors.
Green Cost Share: Economic Recovery and Green Careers
The Green Cost Share Program, is a program designed to aid in the economic recovery of Minneapolis from the pandemic focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy in BIPOC communities and low-income housing. The program already has much higher demand than funding available in 2021. This funding would fulfill those requests in 2021 and set the stage for an aggressive energy and recovery efforts moving forward.
This funding would fulfill requests for funding in 2021 and provide additional funding for energy projects and help leverage $20,000,000 in investments this year focused in environmental justice communities. We would also be able to fund additional projects that we could place students in jobs from our North Minneapolis training site partnering with Summit. It will allow us to expand that training into energy efficiency in South Minneapolis at Sabathani working with MIGIZI. While this request focuses on training and student stipends, this ask supports the CPED request of funding community partner organizations with outreach
Sabathani Stabilization Grant
Coming out of the pandemic, Minneapolis must become more resilient in business and development planning. Culturally competent institutions are needed to improve current process conventions to prepare for future emergency events and climate change.
This grant provides direct assistance to stabilize this unique and needed organization who will assist the community in recovery. The grant will fund improvements to mechanical systems and other costs associated with repositioning the Sabathani Community Center to address current and future community needs in service to youth and elders and providing program and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Senior Services Investment
Senior services are especially critical at this juncture when the senior demographic is rising rapidly and seniors face additional burdens due their high risk during the pandemic. Two decades from now, more than one out of every five Minnesotans will be an older adult. About the same time, Minnesota is expected to hit the peak “retirement- to working-age ratio,” with nearly two retirement-age adults for every five working-age Minnesotans. This huge demographic shift will have widespread impact on Minnesota’s economy, workforce, housing, health care system, social services, and civic institutions.
Increased investment in the City’s aging senior service block nurse program to expand on-the-ground direct public health services from established service organizations to low-income, and housing and food insecure seniors and community elders from under-represented groups in Minneapolis.