Request for Support from Agate Housing and Services
by The Office
Please read the letter from Agate, and consider helping in any way you can.
Dear Friends of Agate,
Some exciting news came out today: The Minneapolis City Council announced a resolution to provide $1.5 million towards the work needed to renovate and reopen the 510 building! This is incredibly exciting and I’m so grateful the City has stepped up to meet this need. And I am so thankful for the Agate employee union and their work to make sure this issue was front and center for the City.
While this is a great step forward, it only gets Agate about halfway to the $3-5 million required to reopen the 510.
Our work is not done. And I need your help.
Please take a few minutes to encourage the Hennepin County Commissioners
1: If you live or work in Hennepin County, find your commissioner and their contact information here: Find Your Commissioner.
2: Send an email to your commissioner using the script provided below. When emailing other commissioners, please copy Chair Irene Fernando (irene.fernando@
Please use the email that might most speak to the commissioner. If you’re a resident of Hennepin County, use your personal email rather than your work – you’re messaging them as a constituent.
If you don’t live in Hennepin County, but work there, use your work email and mention that you work in their region.
If you don’t live or work in Hennepin County, contact County Chair Irene Fernando using whatever email you choose. Make sure to point out that you’re a member of the Twin Cities’ vital community, and housing for any affects the Twin Cities lifestyle for all!
Encourage your friends and family to do the same! The more voices, the stronger our message.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to act. The City Council’s proposal shows that our advocacy is working. Our voices matter, and we have real power when we stand together. If we succeed in getting the County’s support, we will have helped save a building that would otherwise be lost—a vital resource for the city and the communities we work so hard to serve.
Thank you for all you do to support Agate and the people it serves!
Sincerely,
Kyle Hanson, Executive Director
Sample Email
Subject: Urgent: Save Vital Housing Resources in Hennepin County
Hello [Commissioner’s Name],
I am writing to express my concern regarding the loss of vital housing resources for people experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County. As you may know, Agate Housing and Services recently announced the closure of the Board and Lodge and shelter at 510 South Eighth Street, which will result in the loss of 42 shelter beds, 95 board and lodge beds, and 20 union jobs.
With homelessness on the rise and affordable housing increasingly scarce, our community cannot afford to lose these essential resources.
Following an informational picket attended by elected officials and covered by the media, the Minneapolis City Council announced a resolution today to provide $1.5 million to begin emergency renovations at the 510 building. However, this only covers half of the $3-5 million needed to reopen the building and continue providing shelter.
I urge you and your fellow Commissioners to take all necessary steps to secure the additional funding and ensure that this critical housing resource is preserved. Your support is essential to reopening the building and protecting our community’s most vulnerable members.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
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Posts from the office are composed by church staff and leadership at Living Table United Church of Christ in Minneapolis, on behalf of the church membership.
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