North Commons Park Improvements

Amount

$3,000,000

Staffing Needs

None

Previous ARPA Funding

No

Problem Statement

North Commons Park is located in a Qualified Census Tract that was disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The North Commons Park Phase 1 improvements will offer residents of the northside neighborhoods of Minneapolis a new recreation and community gathering facility.

Proposed Action Summary

The North Commons Recreation Center is imagined as the centerpiece of a neighborhood-inspired investment that leads not only to improved recreation and community gathering spaces, but one that energizes nearby properties to new levels of economic activity and investment. While the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board benefits along with residents of the surrounding neighborhood, the City of Minneapolis also benefits very directly by this new force for investment in underperforming West Broadway Avenue businesses.

Proposed Action Detail

The concept for the building, which is an approved direction of the Board of Commissioners, includes a new recreation center with expanded facilities supporting recreation, arts and community gathering, a waterpark renovation and expansion, a new parking area, and the removal of the existing recreation center. The facility is proposed as a part of North Commons Park, which is situated in a neighborhood with some of the lowest wealth in Minneapolis, along with one of the highest population percentages of people of color. In addition, the area around the park and the neighborhood is one where personal safety is of paramount concern.

The new recreation center will provide a fieldhouse-like gymnasium, capable of supporting tournaments and events in a setting unlike anything else in the Minneapolis park system. It gives youth in the neighborhood a venue that inspires their participation in programs and services offered through the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and other partner organizations. In particular, the new facility will provide a water-oriented recreation experience including a splash pad, deep pool, water slides, and “lazy river.”

The overall project cost for Phase 1 is projected to be $ 17 million. The North Commons Recreation Center is supported by a grant from the State of Minnesota in the amount of $5.15 million, and the MPRB has currently allocated $2 milllion towards this project. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar submitted a $2 million Community Funding Project request, which was included in the draft House Transportation/HUD appropriations bill. In addition, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation will be conducting fundraising for the project.

Green Zone Weatherization

Department

Health

Amount

$1,000,000

Staffing Needs

None

Previous ARPA Funding

No

Problem Statement

Far too many homes have inadequate insulation and poor heating systems leading energy cost burdens, uncomfortable living conditions and poor indoor air quality in Minneapolis. There are categories of homes with low to moderate income residents, primarily in our Green Zone and Great Streets priority neighborhoods in need of weatherization assistance. This weatherization work would help lower bills for residents, improve the health of the homes, and cut down on carbon footprints of the people who can least afford to make changes, yet who will be impacted the most by climate change.

Proposed Action Summary

This funding would lead to weatherization improvements in the highest priority areas of Minneapolis based on data driven analysis and proven approaches for interventions. The funding would get priority weatherization to those most in need.

Proposed Action Detail

This would be a new funding into existing programs that would match investments in rental housing, low-income owner occupied housing, naturally occurring affordable housing, and multi-family buildings. The funding would go directly to investments in homes as the staff have already been hired through ARPA round 1 requests. This funding would funnel through multiple intentional channels where the city interacts with property owners and renters. The funding would be managed by Health and they would work in coordination with Regulatory Services rental licensing, CPED 4d and Residential and Real Estate Development, Lead and Healthy Homes. We would utilize financial tools in CPED and Sustainability to lower overall costs and improve the likelihood of completing a project. The ask will also partner in a new concept in Energy Cohort investments with community partners. This work is shovel ready. We would work with a host of partners including Xcel, CenterPoint, Center for Energy and Environment, Sustainable Resource Center, Minneapolis Public Housing and others to coordinate the program and immediately begin the work.

Racial Equity Impact

The Green Zones and Great Streets priority areas are officially recognized geographic areas that were created by community and staff to call attention to areas of racial disparity in Minneapolis. These areas will be the focus of this funding in order to leverage intentional utility, city, state, and private investment in communities historically and intentionally underinvested in. This Green Zones Weatherization funds will be intentionally focused on these recognized areas in need of environmental justice.

Results

The program will be measured by the number of projects completed, energy saved in therms and kWh, annual and lifetime energy savings in dollars.

Community Health Fund

Department

Health

Amount

$1,000,000



Staffing Needs

Food Security Specialist

Previous ARPA Funding

Yes. Phase 1

Problem Statement

This proposal addresses the pandemic-exacerbated public health, crisis that has impacted community health, youth opportunities, and food security. These are areas that have all been significantly impacted over the last two years due to the myriad, layered effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in BIPOC and North and South MPLS communities. It also supports capacity building for emergent and ongoing groups and organizations with community leadership who are addressing these needs.

Proposed Action Summary

Funding would allow for additional rounds of solicitation for community driven public health meant to address the inequitable health and wellbeing impacts of the pandemic. Funds will also increase community food security by providing grants to local hunger relief providers. The focus of these funds will be in low-income and vulnerable communities in geographic areas and cultural communities experiencing the most acute pandemic-related disparities and hardships.

Proposed Action Detail

In the first round, funding was allocated for a Community Health and Safety Fund. An RFP was issued for those funds as well as a RFP to reduce food insecurity. Both RFPs drew considerable interest and only a fraction of proposals were funded. This proposal is a continuation of existing efforts that have provided critical food and capacity building support but inadequately meet the ongoing need in community, as unfortunately the surge in hunger relief needs has persisted. Additionally, new and emerging efforts and models have supported certain geographic areas and cultural communities in ways that will be difficult to sustain without technical assistance and/or financial capital. These funds would continue support for staffing and resources to deliver targeted service to community where most needed, continue building capacity of service providers and support staffing in the Health Department to administer these funds. This funding would allow for additional rounds of solicitation under each of those RFP spread over the period of 2022 – 2024.

This would also provide for a continuation of temporary Food Security Specialist to support administration of these community resources--currently funded through May, 2023 via a CDC COVID grant). ARPA funding is needed through the end of the ARPA contract period for this position.

Racial Equity Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply exacerbated existing social and racial inequities. The pandemic has had a greater burden on people of color and indigenous persons in Minneapolis and across the world.

There are many factors and social determinants that can impact health, health risks, and health outcomes. These factors have contributed to the disproportionate burden that COVID-19 has placed on racial and ethnic minority groups, thereby increasing their risk of getting sick and dying of COVID-19. Some of these factors include:

• Ability to access healthcare- Un/under-insured, lack of transportation and childcare, and language barriers. In addition, historic inequities in treatment by the medical community fuel mistrust in some racial and ethnic communities
• Food security and ability to access healthy foods
• Occupation/employment- working in essential settings leading to increased risk of exposure
• Housing- living in crowded housing or multi-unit buildings make is difficult to isolate when you are sick
• Health Disparities exacerbated by COVID-19 include but are not limited to:
• Substance Use
• HIV/STI rates
• Suicide
• Mental Health
• Obesity
• Tobacco use
• Chronic Disease (diabetes, cardiovascular health, hypertension)
• Endocarditis (infection from not seeking wound care)
• Pregnancy Care/Pregnancy Outcomes/Prenatal Care

This effort will most directly support BIPOC and low-income community residents, as well as others experiencing barriers to access such as those with disabilities. Our partnerships and relationship with community-based organizations, faith communities, and businesses in combination with data and City goals have shaped and enhanced our focus on BIPOC and low-income community residents. The impact would be substantively positive for BIPOC residents, with support for sustained operation in these efforts and tangible culturally relevant resources for community members.

Results

The purpose of this Community Health Fund RFP is to identify qualified organizations to support community-based approaches to address health disparities exacerbated by COVID-19 in disproportionately affected communities. Proposed projects or services can be focused on improving outcomes of one or more health disparities. The intent of the funding is to support community-based organizations to design and implement strategies centered around specific community needs and to promote health equity. Where possible we will measure number of residents, age ranges, cultural affiliation, ward of people served, as well as volume and frequency of service received.