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Myth #1:
The City needs a different Community Engagement process.
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| Fact:
* The City currently has an award winning engagement process in NRP and has been recognized by the United Nations for this fact. Currently, City Council and Mayor are taking steps to review the future of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program scheduled to end in 2009. Very soon they will be determining NRP’s fate. The majority of engaged citizens support the City and the Mayor to continue to find ways to fully fund NRP Phase II and continue funding this world-renowned program past 2009 for the betterment of the City and its citizenry.
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Myth #2:
The City doesn’t have money. If we fund NRP, we won’t be able to fund other things.
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| Fact:
* Fully funding the NRP Phase II allocations and supporting NRP beyond 2009 is achievable without sacrificing other essential City services.
* 10 million a year is half of what the original legislation committed and is less than 7/10ths of 1% of the City’s overall budget. This small amount has successfully leveraged millions in housing and social improvements in it’s first 15 years.
* NRP is funded with Common Project Funds not from the General Fund that fund Fire and Police.
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Myth #3:
No one cares about or wants NRP.
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| Fact:
* Residents want and care about NRP! The neighbors and neighborhoods are the heartbeat of the City. Thousands of NRP neighbors all across the City have willingly volunteered to help their elected officials and their neighborhood organizations through their action plans increase the level of participation of residents and improve their communities.It’s led to millions of dollars being invested city-wide in housing, crime and safety, schools, parks and even produced 12 City Council members and 1 Mayor over the past 8 years. Currently, there are over 1000 invested neighborhood board members and leaders City-wide who interact with thousands more in their communities.
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Myth #4:
Neighborhoods can’t appropriately prioritize the money. Or it takes too long for neighborhoods to use the money.
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| Fact:
* Neighborhoods are diligent to follow all the NRP and City approval processes and work hard to align with changing City priorities from year to year. Neighbors are quick to recognize deterioration in their neighborhoods and make resolving it a priority; they can act faster and more cost effective than the city. This saves city dollars, encourages residential stability, and commitments of private dollars.
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Myth #5:
There are too many NRP neighborhoods.
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| Fact:
* There are only 4-9 neighborhood organizations per ward focused on SERVING their wards and their neighborhoods. NRP neighborhoods help foster relationships rather than forcing partnerships. Many neighbors have already willingly merged on some projects and programs for greater service to their communities.
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Myth #6:
NRP neighborhoods aren’t inclusive of all organizations.
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| Fact:
* There are 81 neighborhood organizations serving Minneapolis. Each of these are free and open to the public. NRP is one of the most inclusive models in the country and that is why it was recognized by the United Nations with a merit award.
* NRP reduces competition between neighborhoods and brings dollars into City.
* More participation of residents as a result of NRP than at any time in the past 40 years; more than 1,000 people are on the Boards of neighborhood organizations, countless others are volunteers.
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Myth #7:
There’s nothing we can do.
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| Fact:
* Our elected officials need to hear from you before the 2008 budget is approved that fully funding NRP Phase II and continuing the program 2009 is important to you! Your voice can make the difference!
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Call or write them today!
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"NRP has enabled Harrison neighbors to do so many things that improve our quality of life including: organizing to get soil remediation of superfund sites, bike trails, street lamps on Glenwood Ave., sale and razing of a gas station abandoned for 17 years, Undoing racism training and organizing for our neighbors-- and the list goes on and on. Currently we're working on benefits for neighbors in the Bassetts Creek Valley redevelopment, protesting another abandoned gas station on Glenwood, and keeping our neighbors in their homes in the face of the mortgage crisis-- and the list goes on and on.
The City could not have come close to these accomplishments on its own. Keep power in the neighborhoods with NRP. "
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"As a Board Member of both LNDC and LNA in the Lyndale neighborhood I know firsthand what a difference NRP has made in the lives of the residents of the neighborhoods that I live in. The City has thrived under NRP funding, to end the program would surely bring detrimental consequences to neighborhoods and the city as a whole, with the impact greatest on poorer neighborhoods. "
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