Awards and Recognition
Affordable Housing Team Mission
To respond to the mandate of Catholic Social Teaching (see more) to work for social and economic justice in terms of ensuring adequate, safe, affordable housing for all. We do this by collaborating with other organizations, such as MICAH, the Archdiocesan Office for Social Justice, Southwest Interfaith Neighborhood Group for Affordable Housing, Minneapolis Affordable Housing Coalition and others to advocate our legislators, provide educational opportunities, and take positive action to end homelessness and improve the availability of affordable housing.
SWING – Southwest Interfaith Neighborhood Group for Affordable Housing
• Mission is to support SW Mpls affordable housing developments while working to maintain the current supply of AH units, educating neighborhoods about the realities of AH, and collaborating with other neighborhood boards and organizations.
• Currently working to support Nicollet Square, a supportive housing development for young adults at 3700 Nicollet Avenue South. The next step is to identify residents of the Kingfield neighborhood who are interested in speaking out in favor of this important project. Read about the project by downloading the brochure or reading an FAQ list. Call CTK Sower Mary Jane Mitchell at 612-824-8296 for more info.
Office for Social Justice Housing Action Team (HAT) www.osjspm.org
• HAT is a coalition of parishioners from congregations within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis working together on the issue of supportive housing. Supportive housing targets the "chronically" homeless, such as people with physical disability, mental illness, or chemical dependency. Supportive housing provides affordable housing with on-site social services that help people learn how to better manage such life situations. The result is that chronically homeless people achieve permanent, stable housing with greater self-sufficiency. Supportive housing is a key part of the state’s Plan to End Long-Term Homelessness by 2010. Contact Mary Alden for more info.
• New members are welcome to attend the next Housing Action Team meeting on the firstTuesday of the month at the Hayden Center. Contact Mary Alden for more information.
MICAH Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing www.micah.org • Through MICAH, more than 150 congregations from Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith traditions organize for justice in housing.
• Sowers members serve on various board/committees of MICAH and are leaders in the Minneapolis chapter. Contact CTK Sower Mary Colbert at 612-926-7464
• The Sowers have worked with MICAH to support the Housing Solutions Act (HSA), a proposal that would provide dedicated funding in the state of Minnesota for a wide variety of affordable housing programs. Learn more at the HSA website.
Minneapolis Affordable Housing Coalition
• Formed to address the issue of condo conversion.
• Current project is the mortgage foreclosure issue and HHH, specifically in lobbying for funding for the Minneapolis Affording Housing Trust Fund, which will provide crucial funding for the success of HHH. Contact CTK Sower Adele Della Torre at 612-920-9717 for more info.
Heading Home Hennepin (HHH) www.headinghomehennepin.org
• This 10-year plan designed to end homelessness by the year 2016 was developed by nearly 70 business, civic and faith leaders from the community, with significant input from homeless and formerly homeless individuals.
• Providing new housing opportunities, support services and around-the-clock outreach to people sleeping on the streets are the HHH components that will empower people of all ages to close the door on homelessness. “Ending homelessness is good for our entire community – for people in need, as well as businesses, schools, neighborhoods and taxpayers." Cathy ten Broeke, HHH coordinator.
• CTK Sowers are working with MICAH and MAHC to obtain funding via the Minneapolis Affordable Housing Trust Fund for this program.
• Mission is to support SW Mpls affordable housing developments while working to maintain the current supply of AH units, educating neighborhoods about the realities of AH, and collaborating with other neighborhood boards and organizations.
• Currently working to support Nicollet Square, a supportive housing development for young adults at 3700 Nicollet Avenue South. The next step is to identify residents of the Kingfield neighborhood who are interested in speaking out in favor of this important project. Read about the project by downloading the brochure or reading an FAQ list. Call CTK Sower Mary Jane Mitchell at 612-824-8296 for more info.
Office for Social Justice Housing Action Team (HAT) www.osjspm.org
• HAT is a coalition of parishioners from congregations within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis working together on the issue of supportive housing. Supportive housing targets the "chronically" homeless, such as people with physical disability, mental illness, or chemical dependency. Supportive housing provides affordable housing with on-site social services that help people learn how to better manage such life situations. The result is that chronically homeless people achieve permanent, stable housing with greater self-sufficiency. Supportive housing is a key part of the state’s Plan to End Long-Term Homelessness by 2010. Contact Mary Alden for more info.
• New members are welcome to attend the next Housing Action Team meeting on the firstTuesday of the month at the Hayden Center. Contact Mary Alden for more information.
MICAH Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing www.micah.org • Through MICAH, more than 150 congregations from Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith traditions organize for justice in housing.
• Sowers members serve on various board/committees of MICAH and are leaders in the Minneapolis chapter. Contact CTK Sower Mary Colbert at 612-926-7464
• The Sowers have worked with MICAH to support the Housing Solutions Act (HSA), a proposal that would provide dedicated funding in the state of Minnesota for a wide variety of affordable housing programs. Learn more at the HSA website.
Minneapolis Affordable Housing Coalition
• Formed to address the issue of condo conversion.
• Current project is the mortgage foreclosure issue and HHH, specifically in lobbying for funding for the Minneapolis Affording Housing Trust Fund, which will provide crucial funding for the success of HHH. Contact CTK Sower Adele Della Torre at 612-920-9717 for more info.
Heading Home Hennepin (HHH) www.headinghomehennepin.org
• This 10-year plan designed to end homelessness by the year 2016 was developed by nearly 70 business, civic and faith leaders from the community, with significant input from homeless and formerly homeless individuals.
• Providing new housing opportunities, support services and around-the-clock outreach to people sleeping on the streets are the HHH components that will empower people of all ages to close the door on homelessness. “Ending homelessness is good for our entire community – for people in need, as well as businesses, schools, neighborhoods and taxpayers." Cathy ten Broeke, HHH coordinator.
• CTK Sowers are working with MICAH and MAHC to obtain funding via the Minneapolis Affordable Housing Trust Fund for this program.
What We Are Doing and How You Can Help (in red)
• Because of our commitment to affordable housing, Mayor R.T. Rybak asked us to host his first housing summit as part of his inaugural week.
• We also were given the Archbishop John Roach award for affordable housing by Common Bond Communities for the work we did in supporting the Boulevard Project, a mixed income development at 53rd and Lyndale.
• Both MICAH and the Archdiocesan Office for Social Justice have recognized CTK’s work in the affordable housing arena.
• 2006 Justice in Housing Award given to two CTK housing team members, Mary Colbert and Adele Della Torre, for their work on the MICAH Regional Equity & Responsibility Committee.
• 2007 Friends of Fulton Award given to members of the Fulton Housing Committee, which includes CTK parishioners Bill Keniston and Mary Colbert, also a CTK housing team member, and individually to CTK parishioner Mary Ellen Halverson.
