By LINH STOEBNER
I lived through a time when I did not have shelter or food. Growing up in Vietnam through war and after the war, human needs were never met. I immigrated to America in the hope of a better future. Phillips Community was the first place I landed when I arrived in the United States. Phillips was my Community for eight years. I moved away over fifteen years ago, and many things have changed, but the housing situation hasn’t seemed to have improved.
The data shows us: many Phillips Community residents struggle with high rent prices and housing instability, impacting their quality of life and economic security.
According to data from Minnesota Compass, from 2018-2022, 38.5% of the Community live below the poverty level. At the same time, housing is more expensive than ever.
I believe that to address housing gaps, we need to address the supply of affordable housing, implement policies to protect current residents, and ensure that housing development is inclusive and meets the community’s diverse needs.
In an interview with Natalie Bullis, MPH, Operations Coordinator for Pillsbury United Communities, housing and healthcare are deeply interconnected. Additionally, Bullis said that a lack of stable housing can lead to worsened physical and mental health issues, especially for those with existing disorders. Bullis also noted that unhoused individuals often struggle to access necessary resources due to systemic barriers, lack of technology, and a fundamental disrespect for human dignity.
At the same time, people may not realize the importance of addressing the housing crisis in Phillips Community, but they should. As well, the neighborhood is home to a significant encampment community, which has faced recent upheavals.
According to a Star Tribune article by Louis Krauss dated July 25, 2024, the city cleared its third encampment in East Phillips Neighborhood without notice this past summer, leaving 60 to 70 individuals without a place to go. Bullis notes that when unhoused members of the encampment are forced to leave, they are often forced to leave their belongings behind, unable to retrieve them as they were not allowed back into the area. Krauss also reported that, as of May 2024, the city has dismantled 16 encampments over the past two years. However, this approach has not alleviated homelessness.
Aside from encampments, Susan Du, another reporter with the Minnesota Star Tribune, reported that in 2023, over 4,000 people were turned away from the Hennepin emergency homeless shelters. Over 7,000 people were turned away in 2022.
These numbers highlight a persistent crisis that demands our attention and action.
Why do people live in tents? While everyone desires a home—a comfortable place to live—many find themselves unable to afford rent. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis shows that in 2018, half of homeless individuals in the Twin Cities earned less than $600 per month, placing them in the poorest 5 percent of the population. In contrast, the median rent in Minneapolis is $1,288 per month, highlighting a significant gap between income and housing costs.
Additionally, the shortage of affordable housing is exacerbated by long waiting lists.
“For affordable housing, waiting lists are the problem. Waiting lists can be years long. And there are a limited number of homeless shelters in the Community. The challenge is figuring out innovative ways to provide affordable housing to people,” said Bullis.
For our country’s economic growth, communities should care about housing issues. The housing crisis in Phillips Community is not just a local issue but a reflection of systemic injustices that require urgent attention.
