Over the summer, Local Progress Minnesota members and partners headed to Oakland, CA for the #LP2024 National Convening, “Rooted in Reshaping our Future.” Read on for a full recap below! Also in this issue: St. Paul kicks off LP’s new series on leveraging federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to build a historic net zero housing development – check it out and more below!Â
🌎 St. Paul Climate Action featured in Next City article & LP Case Study!Â
“We really see the Inflation Reduction Act as providing localities with this once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage federal funding to advance racial, economic, and climate justice for communities,” says Jillia Pessenda, Local Progress’s Minnesota Chapter Manager.
The City of Saint Paul is breaking ground on a historic project to redevelop a former golf course on the city’s East Side into a large-scale, mixed-use development with 1,000 living wage jobs and 1,000 affordable housing units. The entire development – called “The Heights” – is striving to be net zero, thanks to federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Federal funding will help pay for a geothermal energy system – owned and operated by a community energy nonprofit – to heat and cool the development, and on-site solar to power it. Â
Ramsey County Commissioner and LPMN Co-Chair Mai Chong Xiong explained why this clean energy project is so critical for her community: “Ramsey County is fully developed and the most densely populated county in Minnesota. We also have some of the most polluted property. In a densely populated area like Ramsey County, implementing a geothermal system provides significant environmental benefits, including reducing reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing air pollution.”
Learn more about it HERE and reach out to us for support leveraging IRA funding for your local climate action priorities.
❤️NEW Community Responder VideoÂ
From Minneapolis and St. Paul to Brooklyn Center and Duluth, localities in Minnesota are leading the way on launching Community Responder programs – because everyone deserves to feel safe and receive the care and support they need in their community. Check out LP’s new video on Community Responder Programs! Are you interested in starting a community responder program in your city and/or county but have more questions? Reach out to us!Â
đź“šCentering Racial Justice in Education Â
Over the summer, the St. Paul School Board approved a new Afrocentric Program that will center Black culture and history in school. Read more about it in this article featuring LPMN member and St. Paul School Board member Chauntyll Allen.Â
Do you have a recent win you want to share with the LP network? Let us know about it! Reach out to Jillia.
⚡️ #LP2024 Recap
This summer we hosted Local Progress’ largest National Convening to date with over 420 local elected officials and partner organizations, 60+ strategy workshops and plenaries, and countless opportunities to grow and share with one another.Â
In our largest MN delegation to date, MN leaders shared their expertise, organizing and policy wins with the wider network, as well as learned from members across the country who are organizing for racial, economic and gender justice at the local level. We left feeling proud of the work we’ve accomplished and more rooted, grounded and connected for the fights ahead. Onward!
In our largest MN delegation to date, MN leaders shared their expertise, organizing and policy wins with the wider network, as well as learned from members across the country who are organizing for racial, economic and gender justice at the local level. We left feeling proud of the work we’ve accomplished and more rooted, grounded and connected for the fights ahead. Onward!
ICYMI: We are thrilled to welcome our new LPMN Co-Chairs as they lead us into our next phase of growth and action as a state chapter. Read more about our newly elected officers below!
Dr. Kimberly Wilburn is an at-large Councilmember in Minnetonka. She was elected in 2021 and is currently serving her first term on the council. Kimberly is a doctor of Veterinary Science and a community organizer, and she brings decades of experience to her role on the Minnetonka City Council. She is passionate about community safety and criminal justice reform, clean energy and affordable housing. Since joining Local Progress, Kimberly has been active in the network, including attending our state meetings and national convenings, and most recently participated in our national Black Caucus Convening and Leadership Collaborative in Nashville, TN. Kimberly has been serving on the LPMN Organizing Committee since 2023 and we’re thrilled to have her as our newest co-chair!
Mai Chong Xiong serves as a Ramsey County Commissioner, representing District 6 in Saint Paul. After winning the 2022 election, she was sworn into office in January 2023 and is currently serving her first term. Mai Chong’s top priorities are affordable housing, accessible transit, and investing in the development of East Side Saint Paul. For the past ten years, she has served as a leader with TakeAction Minnesota, a grassroots organization that has worked closely with Local Progress. Mai Chong is a proud Saint Paul Public Schools mom of two and has a pet cat named Chopper. Mai Chong has participated in Local Progress state meetings and national convenings. She has served on the organizing committee since the beginning of 2024. We are so excited to welcome Mai Chong Xiong as our newest co-chair!
🤝 Be part of our Partner Pipeline!
ATTENTION PARTNER ORGS: Are you a 501(c)4, Labor, Political Action Committees, Political Committees and pipeline partners whose work focuses on candidate identification, cultivation and endorsement of local races? We want to talk to you! LP and the Impact Lab are currently conducting an asset mapping to support the movement pipeline from elections to governance. Complete this form today to receive an invitation to our 2025 Partners Pipeline Briefing.
đź’° ARPA Deadline is Fast Approaching!
Leaders across the Local Progress network seized American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronaivrus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) for recovery programs informed by the principles of advancing equity, reimagining public safety and advancing worker’s rights. The deadline for local governments to obligate ARPA SLFRF funds is December 31, 2024. Remember, budgeting is not the same as obligating. For more information about what obligating means, check out this resource.Â
🧰 New Resources
- Policy Memo: Rental Price FixingÂ
đź’ť Join a LP Identity Caucus
In the past few years, Local Progress has launched two identity-based community spaces: the Black Caucus, and the Women’s Caucus! A third identity space, Nuestro Caucus, has recently formed to support current and former LP members who identify as part of the Latinx community. These spaces were created by and for LP members to gather and share their lived experiences in governing and leadership positions. Our caucuses will have several opportunities for you to engage in this year. Sign up to join an identity caucus here.
