Alliance for Metropolitan Stability

“The board's executive committee reviews the form 990 for approval. Once approved, the 990 is signed and submitted.”

“Each year, board members are required to fill out the conflict of interest forms. Key staff members in positions of making spending or contracting decisions also fill them out. The staff collects the forms and keeps them on file at the direction of the executive committee of the board.”

“The executive committee of the board oversees the annual review of the executive director and asks all staff, board members and key coalition member representatives and allied organization representatives to fill out an evaluation form. The executive committee then meets with the director to discuss the collective evaluation form, compares the executive director's performance with annual work plan goal and outcomes, sets new goals and work plan outcomes for the coming year, and makes decisions on compensation and salary adjustments.”

“The executive director supervises the associate director and performs a similar evaluation of her efforts and makes decisions about her compensation and salary adjustments.”

“The organization makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy and audited financial statements available to the public upon request.”

“The alliance for metropolitan stability is a coalition of advocacy and community organizing groups formed in 1994. We work together to advance racial, economic and environmental justice in urban growth and development in the twin cities region. The twin cities region is rich with resources. We want all people to be able to access them, and we believe everyone in our region will benefit when all communities have access to opportunity. We believe the people and places of our region are deeply connected and interdependent. We work to ensure that our regional investments like housing, transit and economic development benefit everyone - especially low-wealth communities and communities of color, people who are often left behind when resources are allocated. These communities have been historically excluded from land-use and project decision making tables, and we are working with public sector leaders to change that. The alliance brings grassroots organizations together to build more power and create a region that allows everyone in the twin cities region to thrive. In addition, we play a broader role in the regional landscape of advocacy and community-based groups by offering activities that help build the capacity of individuals and organizations that work for regional equity. For example, in 2017 we: o shared learning: convened monthly organizer roundtable forums that offered shared learning and cross-sector networking opportunities - over 300 community residents, leaders and staff attended these lively forums. O communicating best practices: produced a bi-weekly e-newsletter, the link, and published semi-annual print newsletters that offer the latest information and analysis on racial, environmental and economic equity issues. O building the field: prompted by the alliance, local funders supported building the capacity of a twin cities delegation to attend policylink's national equity summit, a process that we organized and administered. We increased the capacity of two dozen delegates who needed assistance to attend, partnered for the first time with the met council (who brought three dozen staff members to the conference) to engage delegates before/during/after the conference, and attracted more than 170 attendees from minnesota. Alliance staff presented at the summit on "race and disaggregating data,- and were invited upon return to minnesota to give the presentation to the minneapolis civil rights department. O capacity building & shared learning opportunities: the alliance secured 40,000 in foundation support to help organize and build the capacity for a delegation from minnesota to attend the national equity summit 2018 in chicago. Stipends were awarded to 49 people (113 applications were received) which will help build a broad base of conference participants from community and governmental agencies. This is part of a larger strategy to encourage government entities to coordinate, network and collaborate with grassroots community-based organizations to explore equitable development practices and build more authentic partnerships at the regional and local level.”

“Affordable housing: the twin cities region faces a housing crisis that impacts tens of thousands of families in our communities. In 2018 we built considerable public awareness and political will for creating and preserving more affordable homes. Our work to elevate awareness about the current housing crisis is helping to drive important policy and investment decisions among public officials. We have organized advocacy efforts around three central "pillars" related to affordable housing needs: production, preservation, and tenant protections. Examples of our work include: eden prairie new affordable housing production: in 2018, the alliance and new american development center (nadc) worked with east african communities in the city of eden prairie to advocate for the preservation and expansion of affordable housing. Joined by a variety of housing, faith-based and social justice organizations, we encouraged city leadership, private developers, and landlords to listen to east african community members and to change policies and practices that are biased against immigrant communities. After repeated requests by the somali community for new affordable housing in eden prairie, we are now seeing good progress. For the first time in 20 years, eden prairie officials approved a new affordable housing development. The "elevate" apartments will have 220 homes, with 20 percent (44 units) affordable at 50 percent of the area median income (ami). Because of our organizing, the city council asked the private developer to include 2-bedroom homes among the affordable units. We also supported a development called trail pointe ridge, which will be built by nonprofit developer commonbond communities. This 58-unit building has an outstanding mix of affordable options, including: 28 2-bedroom and 16 3-bedroom homes, affordable at 50 percent of the ami. Homes with multiple bedroom units is a critical need for east african families. The project will also feature 11 units at 30 percent of the ami. These new housing opportunities come at a critical time as we anticipate the build out of the southwest lrt and the four station stops it will bring to eden prairie . City of minneapolis inclusionary zoning for many years, the alliance has advocated for strong, mandatory inclusionary housing policies that would ensure a reasonable percentage of units in all new developments are truly affordable to people making at or below 50% and 30% of the area median income (ami). In 2018, the city of minneapolis passed an interim inclusionary zoning policy as part of its approval of the 2018 comprehensive plan. This initial framework will require that private developers set aside 10% of the units in their new rental apartments for people that earn at or below 60% of the ami. If those developments wish to receive city assistance (public subsidies and other measures), then the policy would trigger a stronger affordability requirement: that 20% of the units must be affordable to people making at or below 50% of the ami. Affordable housing trust funds the alliance continued its involvement with the make homes happen coalition, which is advocating that the city of minneapolis commit 50 million a year for the next ten years towards a flexible affordable housing trust fund. This repository of funds could be used in new production of affordable units, in the preservation of existing apartment buildings or to leverage tenant protections for existing and future residents of the city. In november, the minneapolis mayor's 2019 budget contained 40 million towards several affordable housing programs, including the trust fund. Due to the constant encouragement by community leaders and housing advocates, minneapolis city council members have begun laying the groundwork for a host of tenant reforms and other policies that would address the city's severe housing shortages. City of st. Paul officials have their own framework of affordable housing reforms that were named in a july, 2018 resol”

“Capacity building: the alliance provides technical expertise, organizing assistance, data analysis, strategy development, tools and other resources to support community-based organizations and leaders in navigating complex development projects, institutional practices and governmental decision- making processes. By supporting the leadership of community based organizations and connecting many groups across geographic and cultural communities doing similar work, the alliance plays a role in developing a stronger set of relationships, collaborations, best practices, and a broader understanding of collective power. That power is then wielded to influence both policy and process. Examples of how the alliance builds the field of organizing and advocacy include: actualizing equity convenings: from "who speaks for the neighborhood" to "race, class and the outdoors," the alliance convened 9 events in 2018 to curate conversation and insight on critical areas of community importance, including housing, transportation and community engagement. This series of conversations created space for organizers throughout the region to build relationships, share knowledge and strategize together in our shared work to change the policies and systems that influence racial, economic, environmental, and health equity. Release of a regional equity agenda: in the twin cities metro area, people of color, indigenous, immigrant, and low-income communities are leading powerful, creative work to establish a just region where all can thrive. Developed through extensive conversations with local leaders and released in 2018, our area: the alliance regional equity agenda highlights the strategies alliance members and partners are using and calls for further collective action to heal communities, stimulate regenerative power, dismantle structural racism, and end the displacement and gentrification of our communities. With overarching principles and targeted policy recommendations, this living agenda moves toward reclaiming the term "equity- and redefining it in terms that resonate with community. Expanded use of the equitable development scorecard: created in partnership with more than a dozen local organizations, the equitable development scorecard helps communities ensure that the principles and practices of equitable development, environmental justice, and affordability are available to all residents. In 2018, the alliance worked with the west side community organizations, cycles for change, metro blooms and other to showcase how their communities and organizations are adapting and leveraging the scorecard for their issues and geographies. The alliance also convened a scorecard enthusiasts table that attracted 120 leaders from grassroots organizations, staff from community-based organizations and the public sector. This table met regularly to share successes, learnings and identify future opportunities. Equity summit 2018: the alliance organized a delegation of over 225 persons from the twin cities that attended a nationally recognized conference on racial and economic equity issues. Hosted by policylink (a research and advocacy organization from oakland, california), the equity summit attracted nationally known speakers and lifted up the efforts of local, community-based organizations. The alliance administered a stipend fund that helped offset the costs for dozens of conference attendees, convened a conference kick-off conversation in minneapolis and hosted a twin cities delegation convening in downtown chicago during the summit.”

“Equity in place: working with the center for urban and regional affairs, the alliance convenes the equity in place coalition table, a collection of organizations representative of communities of color that are coordinating efforts to identify and engage community efforts to increase economic and social opportunities in the region. The goal of this effort is to shape equity-driven investments, policies and plans; and we are working to change the dynamics of community engagement by leading with community voices and with a race and class analysis. Equity in place provides a space where community organizers can reframe narratives and elevate solutions that allow every resident to live where they want to and have access to opportunities defined by them. In 2018, we helped to convene the twin cities cohort for a unique national collaboration under the auspices of the all-in cities initiative. Known as the anti-displacement policy network, we used this broad based effort as a local cohort to engage in a deep examination of the causes and strategic solutions to involuntary economic and geographic displacement. We engaged with local elected leaders, city staff and community-based organizations from 10 cities across the country with the mission of preventing displacement and exchanging knowledge. The alliance also worked with the fair housing implementation council - a regional body of government staff that coordinate efforts to affirmatively further fair housing throughout the twin cities metro - and secured funding for community-based organizations to engage tenants in identifying solutions to their housing challenges.”

“ALL OTHER PROGRAMS”