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Morning Edition
Cathy Wurzer, Lukas Levin and Gracie Stockton

Minneapolis think tank uncovers ‘novel’ ideas to address homelessness

A woman speaks
Ward 8 council member Andrea Jenkins speaks in favor of the new police contract during a meeting in Minneapolis on July 18.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz cited Minneapolis as an example of success in addressing housing shortages and affordability in last week’s vice presidential debate. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Minneapolis City Council member Andrea Jenkins about her think tank of 12 community members, which formed to help solve issues around housing.

Wurzer spoke with Jenkins ahead of their final meeting on Friday.

“You know, we’re not hearing a lot of new ideas, but we are uncovering some novel ideas,” Jenkins said.

Hennepin County is a Housing First county, meaning it tries to provide dignified housing and continued support through drug treatment and mental health services to eradicate homelessness. The city also tears down homeless encampments.

“We clear out the encampments because that is not a dignified and or safe way to live. It creates problems, not only for the the residents that are there,” Jenkins said. “There’s human trafficking happening in some of these encampments, and so we want to try to put people in in the safest position as possible.”

At think tank meetings, residents are able to speak their mind directly to the council, Jenkins said. This, she said, gives her hope that the city will be able to combat homelessness.

To listen to the full conversation click the player above.