Affordable Housing

The Affordable Housing Ministry Team addresses the affordable housing crisis through policy work, direct service and education. Get in touch with the Affordable Housing Ministry Team by contacting Rev. Shay MacKay at shay@unityunitarian.org.

Volunteers Needed: 2022 Habitat for Humanity Work Week

The Unity Church Affordable Housing Outreach Ministry Team is co-sponsoring a Habitat for Humanity home construction work week in June. For many years members of Unity have volunteered with other area church members as part of “Faith Builder’s” to build Habitat housing for eligible families. This year we are working Monday, June 27, through Friday, July 1. You can volunteer for one day or multiple days. You do not have to be an expert carpenter to volunteer. All skill levels are needed. We have professional staff on hand to guide us. You, family members and friends will learn and have fun. For this year’s project we will build wall panels for new homes at the Habitat for Humanity panel shop in Northeast Minneapolis. The home site we had planned to help with will not be ready for us.

Please sign up to volunteer!
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To financially support the project and Habitat For Humanity's work, please give to the Unity Church Sunday offering on May 29.

​A Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity “green” build integrates building practices that reduce detrimental impacts on the natural environment, promote healthy indoor air quality for occupants and reduce energy costs while increasing the long-term affordability of homes and improving the neighborhood housing stock. 
 
If you have questions please contact Chuck Griggs at griggscb@msn.com or 612-408-0486 (text or call) or Dutton Foster at duttonfosters@comcast.net .

COVID-19 Safety Guidelines:

• All volunteers must indicate that they have either been vaccinated or have tested negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours of each time on site. Volunteers will be asked their vaccination status when signing up online.
• Masks are optional, regardless of vaccination status.
• Please read the full COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for more details.

 
Volunteer Guidelines:

• Volunteers must wear sturdy, closed toe, closed heel shoes to participate (tennis shoes or work boots are great).
• Please bring refillable water bottles to site. We will have water on site to replenish your bottles.
• Bring work gloves if you’d like to use your own. All sites will also have some available for use.
• Lunch is not provided by Habitat. If your group is not providing lunch, please bring your own. Volunteers are discouraged from leaving site for lunch.
• Youth under 16 are not allowed on site. All 16- and 17-year-olds on site must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older. 
• Please read our full Volunteer Guidelines for more details.

GOP Set to Punish Saint Paul Financially and Void Our Votes

All three bills are in the MN Senate (authored by GOP):
SF 3994 prohibits the state from funding multifamily housing projects in St. Paul until August 2023, when a GOP report comes out on the impacts of rent stabilization. In our housing crisis, this is unconscionable. Without bonding dollars, developers like Beacon won’t be able to build homes that serve those with the greatest need. (See Section 34; and Section 35 overturns the votes from Nov 2021 for rent stabilization.)

SF 3882 limits how much a city with rent stabilization can increase its operating levy in property taxes. It is retroactive to the 2021 election, so Saint Paul will be limited to a three percent maximum levy. It is unfair of the GOP (none of whom live in Saint Paul) to punish St. Paul voters retroactively and to tie a large levy funding source to a separate rent stabilization ordinance. This bill will punish any cities in the future who pursue rent stabilization.

SF3414 voids more than 100,000 certified votes from November 2021 in order to overturn rent stabilization ballot measures that won (in Saint Paul, and the charter amendment in Minneapolis). This anti-democratic bill has passed two Senate committees and is now in a Senate Omnibus bill. In addition to removing rent stabilization from Saint Paul, it also prohibits rent stabilization anywhere in Minnesota.

What can we do?
Our Saint Paul legislators will never vote for these bills. But if you live outside of the Twin Cities, you should call or email your senator. The message is: regardless of how we may feel about rent stabilization, these anti-democratic bills should not move forward. And, this all makes for a great letter-to-the-editor if you’re up for it.

Project Home is coordinated by Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul to provide emergency shelter for families facing homelessness in Ramsey County. Unity Church hosts Project Home each year during the month of May. Over 100 volunteers are needed to provide hospitality during the evening and overnight giving families with children comfort and a safe place to stay.  

Families served through Project Home spend the day at The Family Place, a day center in downtown St. Paul. There are many volunteer opportunities there, including and cooking meals for families and providing activities for the children. 

We support and participate in Habitat for Humanity with a two week building project each year in late spring. For more information on this opportunity contact Chuck Griggs by email at  griggscb@msn.com. 

From time to time the team offers congregational and community forums on issues of homelessness and affordable Housing.

This team advocates for policy and partnerships that will increase the supply of affordable housing.  Advocacy efforts often take place through a team community partner, Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. 

Each year, team members participate in legislative days for Affordable Housing at the Minnesota State Capitol.