Affordable Housing

MICAH – Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing

MICAH envisions a metropolitan area where everyone without exception has a safe, decent, and affordable home.  Its mission is to live out the prophetic vision that calls us “to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God”. (Micah 6:8).  MICAH works in chapters that organize congregations & organizations throughout the Twin Cities metro region to change the political climate and public policies so that all communities build and preserve affordable housing.

MICAH Minneapolis Chapter

Since 1999 the Minneapolis Chapter has a history of initiating housing policy change through faith-based grass roots support.  CTK has been an active member for many years and was proud to have hosted MICAH’s successful, well-attended 2008 annual fundraiser meeting in November. 

Four current outreach activities

1. Heading Home ‘the name of your congregation’ (Example: “Heading Home Christ the King”) -  This is a simple congregational tool that can be part of any congregation’s social action network. Named after Hennepin County’s program to end homelessness, Heading Home Hennepin, this advocacy program originated at Plymouth Congregational Church.  Congregants sign on for a limited time period during which they are committed to respond to advocacy actions.  For example, they may be invited to write a letter to their council member to support an affordable housing development or to attend a committee meeting during the state legislative session.   MICAH provides the action alerts to participating congregations.

2. Supporting Proposals of Affordable Housing - The Minneapolis Comprehensive Plan clearly states that every neighborhood should have a variety of housing opportunities. A healthy and sustainable city has mixed income housing throughout its neighborhoods. Listed below are developments that we are supporting or have recently supported.

3.  The Minneapolis Comprehensive Plan -  This is the ten-year plan that each metropolitan city and township submits to the Metropolitan Council.  Minneapolis has recently laid out a plan consistent with MICAH’s vision. We need to be familiar with these guidelines as we work towards achieving a city with an infrastructure of housing for all.   Read it on the website: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped/docs/03_Housing_1Dec07.pdf

4.  Housing Solutions Act - We need to take advantage of the current political will to support legislation for greater housing funding to reverse increasing homelessness in our communities.  Legislators are calling for an unprecedented housing caucus to face the many issues that are impacting housing. The political will is there both on a bicameral and bipartisan level.

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