NHA full minutes from Oct. 22, 2007 meeting

Northside Homeowners' Association
October 22, 2007, 6:30 pm, Folwell Park Meeting Room 3

Start at 6:32 pm

Margarette Nevalainen and Anne McCandless will serve on Steering Committee. Alex Dobe will come over and see what he can do to help. John Mizyk will help put out flyers.

During introductions, Robert asked people were asked to state what their neighborhood concerns are: Overall livability a big concern; Livability; from NE, just observing; increase of muggings going unreported; Vandalism; next-door neighbors at 3238, stolen van; crime & livability, trash, problem properties; trash, shootings on Lowry, boarded houses; crime, problem properties, bad neighbors; crime, shootings; home ownership affordability issues, Level of violent crime; here to see if our concerns overlap-Lots of new people. Robert did a synopsis w/how this came together to explain why we are all here and why NHA need to be undertaken as a mandate for change.

History of prior conversation with Barb Johnson about what we could do about problems in our community specifically about the amount of subsidized housing on north , She said the only thing that would change anything is a “lawsuit”. Started doing some research and NM has 42% of Section 8 housing and 48% of entire rental in city. And More research about concentration of poverty, subsidized housing and how it attributes to crime, along with reading the mandates and research set out in the Hollman settlement, and subsequent documents, lead him to believe the city of Mpls. is doing the residents of North Mpls. a huge disservice. Particularly those of us who are homeowners. And have direct property value and livability impacts. .
To community development,.
Robert reviewed an overall structure of plan having discussions to create a plan of action or mandate for change document, in previous meeting started and this will add and review past. As the community involvement grows, and suggestions are added to document. Either thru meetings or on blog site email.

To be reviewed etc.. before we send to city as a mandate for change with a petition.

We reviewed the purpose which was set forth in prior meeting, ,asked for any new suggestions

. Our purpose: to mandate change in City and MPHA policy.

Lots of other organizations working to combat the same issues but as a HO Assn, because we live and own property here, we are more directly impacted in ways the city isn’t properly considering.

Reviewed concerns.
We are concerned about
-Impact of depreciating property values
-Increased concentration of crime, especially youth crime.

And moved on to what we want to do reviewed past added a few.
What we want to do:
-Prevent flight of responsible homeowners
-Increase responsible homeownership and landlords
brief conversation on what is a section 8 voucher, and other HUD/MPHA programs,.
Clarify subsidized housing: Section 8 voucher programs.
Do houses that city of Mineapolis owns in scattered site programs belong under Section 8? Yes.
Evidence shows that scattered sites are better managed. Than THE Neighborhood voucher holders.

The conversation moved toward gentrification..
We need to be aware of the differences between Poverty vs. its opposite / gentrification. We don’t think N Mpls will become Linden Hills but we should promote homeownership. We want to get back to being a Middle Class Working Neighborhood that is open to all people. Where does it say that poor people have to live in crappy housing, live in trash, with crime etc?
Let’s turn into homeowner-based housing. Harrison Neighborhood is developing a Code of Ethics. When tenants are bad, they get a letter; when they’re bad again, the landlord gets a letter. They’re following up and following up with penalties.

Mary’s Place … when they move out and have to take a Renter’s Course. Why doesn’t MPHA offer/require the same thing with education on how to live in a community, basic home maintenance, etc.

Thus Code of conduct, a code of ethics or neighborhood standards suggestion.
More review and education and more follow up with voucher holders as well as renters
And landlords for that matter.
There has to be stronger enforcement. Landlords and agencies tend to try to work with tenants so they don’t lose their benefits but this often works against the livability of neighbors. The Code of Conduct would be grounded in basic laws and ordinances already in existence.

People who come into section 8 are typically single moms who’ve been on a waiting list for six years sleeping on couches, living w/family members, etc. and sometimes come with a bad attitude and without education on how to be effective community members.

This isn’t an attack on Section 8 but there does have to be education and de-concentration. There aren’t enough homeowners in North Mpls to make a big enough difference. It’s difficult for landlords to get rid of problem tenants; at least section 8 is regulated.

Not really! There’s a lack of accountability from bad landlords and bad tenants.

Suggestion: more accountability on landlords, we reviewed other previously added suggestions to curtail that .

Anne McCandless, Jordan, just finished on a study with CURA intern on foreclosures. It’s not all about poor people who can’t keep up but it’s about investors, too. North Mpls turns over to rental three times faster than other parts of the city.

Cindy Fossum said Heritage Park is not 75% homeownership. Anne McCandless suggests a lawsuit against the city for not keeping their end of the Holman decision. How do we use that Holman decree in our favor to de-concentrate the poverty, section 8, etc. The jobs for the low-income people are out in the suburbs, why not the housing, too?

Robert form Hollman research:
When the projects were torn down, 90% of the 748 families who were displaced moved within a 3-mile radius of that area. There is precedent and research to support a lawsuit.
Thus maintaining and re-affirming that Hollman, was a total failure. From Research study report by Joyce Any level of subsidized housing over 20% directly impacts livability and brings property values down.

Reviewed and reaffirmed by community members the need to FIX:
Best thing is to de-concentrate the subsidized housing
De-concentrating poverty reduces crime and helps people get people out of poverty.
Review license, Zoning laws,
De-concentrating public housing out of at-risk neighborhoods.

Something has to stop the influx of section 8 and rental property … JACC is back down below 50% homeownership; how can we halt rental licenses?

There are several types of vouchers; sticky (not geographical based), seniors, disabled, scattered site, opportunity to work, etc. HUD doesn’t have much say in where some of these voucher holders decide to live. Transferable vouchers allow bad landlords to move bad tenants to another of his/her properties and continue to collect the govt. funds. MPHA has power to enforce certain guidelines but they don’t have the people to do it.


Discussion on inspection policy:
It looks like inspectors and city are going after smaller petty issues like plants overgrowing the sidewalk instead of the major issues of drug dealing and prostitution.

What about asking landlords to make a lease that also deals with behavioral issues? Would there be a precedent for the city to make a mandate to the rental property owners? CCP/SAFE has an addendum for landlords to include in their lease and do better background checks, if they choose.
Another solution: Making more homes owner-occupied is part of the solution.

Agreed that there was a need to increase Non-homestead property taxes is too low in ratio to the homestead. Increase non-homestead taxes to cover the expense of policing and patrolling the rental properties.

Suggestion: could landlord and rental owner workshops become mandatory along with rental license renewal?
Brian talked about OH Problem Properties Committee and how they work with 4th Precinct and Inspections. Worst problems aren’t Section 8 but investor landlords who skim rent and let house go to foreclosure.

How could the City improve on the rental license process? The fee should be raised and the process to revoke needs to be lessened. Connie cited an example on her block that took two years of constant reporting and loose enforcement.

Why doesn’t the city raise the rental license fee? What we’re looking at is a way to entice more homeownership and prevent turning single-family homes into rentals. Many investors chop the houses up to make more bedrooms and for more rent.

Considering the hassle the city goes through with all the rental properties, those expenses could be recouped in a higher license fee and property taxes and less on resident homeowners.
Robert reviewed last meeting and Barb Johnson -city is looking at a conversion fee for turning a single-family home into a rental property.

Most people feel the rental license fee is currently too low.
And new structure needed.

Discussion of Tenant Escrow Account for problem landlords: City of Minneapolis. has one but it’s extremely under used.
Joe Mullery discussed the Tenant Remedies Act is a state law that protects tenants. Is there any way to simplify the process. Tenant can escrow the rent if landlord isn’t keeping property up.

On judicial changes:
Make the unlawful detainer process easier and less costly for landlord to get rid of bad tenants. Two offense convictions are required to trigger an eviction.

Another suggestion: Put pressure on judges to accept a preponderance of evidence instead of convictions – use experts who can equate observances by neighbors with likelihood of criminal conduct. Enforce the Nuisance Act w/Hennepin County Attorney.

Discussion of what 4 PAC is up to (which has a link on blog)
Go to www.4pac.org where you can list problem properties – inspections, criminal, etc. and put address and what you’ve observed. This keeps a log of neighbor observations so if and when the attorney can print out that whole log. This is not 911 or 311 log; it’s a different mechanism for use by prosecutors to get more information. Ordinary people can also search by address. Also, would be helpful with capability to gather info on prospective tenants.

Write to John.choi@ci.stpaul.mn.us re new gang legislation.

Brian suggestion: and talk about Inspections. If after a period of time, city could non-compliant fee so city does it. Currently, only does it for grass cutting, trash, etc. Once it’s declared, city always just comes and cleans it and puts it on the taxes. This would also involve escrowing funds to make sure payments are made.

Suggestion: Also dedicate a noise enforcement unit in police department to enforce that ordinance. It’s only a misdemeanor to fire a gun even if a minor is nearby. We should work for an ordinance to increase the penalty. With fireworks too… This would change the priority.

On foreclosures:
Can anything be done with contract-for-deeds? They’re required to be registered with the county within a period for time and there is a provision that no one ever uses that cans knick the owner of the property 2% of the price of the contract as a fine. But they never do it because they’re just happy to get them registered. Warranty Deeds aren’t held to this same standard. Linda talked about changes to the foreclosure laws right now. Linda admitted that the amount of c for d’s and deed leans go un-accounted for and unregistered by state.

Robert side note about impact of foreclosures. From a UBS research study on foreclosures, recent predictions that before the dust settles on foreclosure issue, property values will be deflated by 30 to 40% from 2004 levels ending in 2009.

Linda: Most important thing is to look at things that increase the cost of doing business for problem properties. Looking at the amount of time the courts can drag things out transitioning from rental to homeownership will take a long time to affect change.

Suggestion: Excessive consumption fee in other municipalities could work here similar to false alarm fees. Can’t run it just off 911 calls because landlords tell renters not to call. Businesses get called on the rug for excessive calls. Make police make a better record of calls … like a check box on the form as a nuisance call.

Suggestion: Follow up from city officials on 911 calls to properties SO that the police and city officials actually follow up with the caller with an evaluation type call.


Linda Higgins the definition of what is an impacted community: Impacted = over 40% poverty. McKinley is only Northside community.

Back to talk of a lawsuit: Basis would be the city has so poorly mismanaged our community that we’ve been impacted unfairly with loss in value and livability.

Become a whole Northside initiative. Lawsuit against the City? Section 8 isn’t the core of the problem … it’s general problem rental properties so don’t focus on that. Precedent is that the city hasn’t treated the Northside fairly.
We can ask for stats from MPHA and ask for a commitment to reduce the number of section 8 rentals in our community.

Just for fun: a show of hands was offered, would you sign up on a class action lawsuit against the city to make change. Nearly the whole room, more than 80%
Agreed to support action.

From Linda, 17,202 rental licenses in city 2,500 in Northside from Barb at last meeting.

Suggestion Involve “good” landlords in this association. Change the license fees … have to have some relevance to the cost of doing business. Even a dog license is $50. It should be high enough to recoup the cost of inspections and services.

Another suggestion: Multiple property owners should pay even higher fees.

How do we make it more attractive for homeowners instead of investors? Push North Mpls as a place to build green. Marketing strategy?


NEW TOPIC: Structure of the Assn:

NHA As promotion tool: We might explore ways to mentor new neighbors into the Northside and talk up our neighborhood more to de-mystify and de-bunk the negative image the media portrays of us.

A great thing to do as a Homeowners Assn … window clings, “Proud Northside Resident”, give our names to realtors who support homeownership to talk to prospective buyers.
What would you like to see as members of the community in a homeowner’s assn?
Question asked what we are doing to promote the NHA, Robert Article in Camden News and Robert is trying sent info To north News, other NHO’s and other leadership in community
How do we reach the rest of the homeowners? We all tell 10 more people.
More press going out
Call for volunteers.
Steering committee
Legal committee
Outreach committee to get info information about stores, churches, trash schedule, and bus schedule, everything around here.

City or nhood code of conduct, window stickers that you signed on to the code. Jordan, OH, McKinley


Another idea is a Homeowners bill of rights.

Who else wants to get involved in forming the organization and developing a plan of action?

Could we hook up with Folwell? Yes quite possibly. We could have a discussion to going under the Folwell Center for Urban Initiatives.

Next Meeting is November 12th and will have been in the Camden & North News so should have more people involved. But we need steering committees to get the organizing work done.

Legal Research.
Membership outreach. Steering committee. Welcome committee.
For next meeting:
Push more that it’s entire Northside and not just north of Lowry. Entire Northside is impacted so all should be involved.
Question: how is this different from block club?
A Larger group has more impact on larger problems while block clubs focus on specific issues.
How to involve communities of color? We need helpers to spread the word.
Try thru church orgs.


Robert again explained the so grass roots nature of this org, with no funding and a skeleton crew at the helm as we get going; word of mouth has been difficult
Again please spread the word..
This is an issue for all.

Next Meeting: Monday, November 12th, 6:30 pm in Multi-Purpose Room. Folwell community center.

Form a Steering Committee to work on initiatives and plans to get landlords to the table to meet sometime before next meeting: Anne McCandless, Robert, Connie,

Biggest chore right now is telling your neighbors. Everyone tell 10 people. Make a flyer for people to copy and hand out. It will be mailed and sent to the blog site.

Watch November 16th on NOW on PBS a show on foreclosure issue in Folwell.

End at 8:50 pm.