Letter to the editor
Read the November 7, 20025 letter to the editor submitted by Hoang Murphy to the Minneapolis Star Tribune below or find it on the Star Tribune website (requires subscription).
The federal government shutdown, the passing of HR 1, and the Executive Order on Homelessness are effectively punishing poverty. These shifts from a housing-first solution to a punitive approach make it impossible for increasing numbers of families to secure their basic needs for food, housing, medical care, childcare, and employment.
I’m not saying the sky is going to fall. But I am saying the roof will collapse unless our local government entities do something to prevent it. It is imperative that state and local governments step up and support housing justice for all. And today that starts with the City of Minneapolis supporting and providing funding for family shelter.
Hennepin County is already supporting parents, children, and single adults experiencing homelessness and housing instability, but it cannot do it alone. The City of Minneapolis should have a stake in sheltering its most vulnerable. The mayor’s proposed budget of $1 million is earmarked for funding Hennepin County’s 2026 winter shelter operations that will keep another 150 beds available. Of course, winter shelters are a critical need and must be funded. But that isn’t where the need ends.
Families make up more than 50% of those experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County. And the needs of families are growing, particularly at a time when the federal government is opting out of supporting housing as a solution to ending homelessness, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are interrupted, and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding is being reduced.
The city must step up to meet this unprecedented moment and fund the actual needs of its community, and fund family shelter.
Working in a family homeless shelter, I tend to be optimistic about change because every day I see people’s abilities to change their lives. And I am still optimistic that the City Council and Mayor Frey will invest in its most vulnerable families. The budget is not set in stone. We still have another chance to rectify this and reestablish hope that our two bodies of city governance can lead together and create a robust response to the cascade of harms facing families experiencing homelessness.
Hoang Murphy
CEO, People Serving People
What you can do
Lend your voice of support to this important issue by contacting your City Council Member and the Minneapolis Mayor’s office:
