Dear Neighbors,
A quick reminder that tonight is Halloween (Trick-or-Treat!) and an update on a recent housing summit I attended, information on the High School Page Program, and a quick questionnaire about the values project my colleagues and I have been working on.
Trick-or-Treaters will be out Tonight!
Tonight is a fun night for many kids and families in our community! As trick-or-treaters take to the streets, please make sure to put safety first. Here are a few tips from the Minnesota Safety Council for having a safe Halloween. I hope you all enjoy a beautiful (spooky!) night out and about!
Fall Housing Summit
On October 25th I attended the Fall Housing Summit at St. John Neumann Church in Eagan. It was attended by a number of state legislators, city council members, a school board member, staff from numerous agencies, real estate agents, and many housing advocates.
Madeline Kastler, Housing Manager for Dakota County Social Services, led off the program with some statistics on the impact of homelessness. Anyone who pays more than 30% for housing is considered to have a problem, and students without stable housing do not do as well in school as do those that do.
The main portion of the program was a panel of people knowledgeable on housing issues.
One question asked was how do we increase the availability of affordable housing? Another is what should be the role of state government and local government? We need to solve these issues sooner than later.
The need for affordable housing is growing, and this was acknowledged in last year’s bonding bill passed by the Legislature. I joined my colleagues from both parties to pass a bonding bill that dedicated $77 million to developing and maintaining affordable housing to make sure working families have a pathway to the middle class and home ownership. It was good to hear more about the housing needs of neighbors in our community from experts last week!
House High School Page Program
Modeled after the United States Congress Page Program, the Minnesota House of Representatives High School Page Program was established in 1975. Today, the program remains dedicated to providing students with meaningful opportunities and has evolved into one of the top page programs in the nation.
Throughout the course of their week in Saint Paul, High School Page Program participants are exposed to a wide variety of experiences, designed to provide them with a deep understanding of our state government.
The Minnesota House of Representatives High School Page Program is open to all Minnesota high school students in their junior year. Applications are due by December 1st! For more information and the applications, please visit the High School Page Program website.
What do you value?
What would make life better for you, your family and our community? Recently, we’ve been having conversations all across Minnesota—from Apple Valley to Grand Rapids and beyond—asking just that question. For a change of pace, we as legislators have simply listened and facilitated a dialogue about our shared values and future. The conversations have been robust, challenging, moving, and thoughtful. People from all walks of life have attended and shared so much about themselves and their communities.
Now, it’s your turn to join so many other Minnesotans and share what you value and what you’d like to see Minnesota do. Please take this opportunity to fill out a brief, four question survey.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Sandra Masin