Our Involvement
Elim has been involved in shaping legislation from our inception in the mid-1980s. We have been successful at the state and federal levels in bringing about legislation that truly improves the lives of people who are experiencing homelessness in both the State of Minnesota and nationally.
Our State and Community
Elim is a member of the Minnesota Coalition For The Homeless.
The Coalition educates communities about homelessness and builds public support for the services they need. In partnership with members such as Elim, the Coalition's Legislative Advocacy Program provides a voice to the homeless.
Elim is also a member of MICAH, an organization comprised of housing advocates, low income housing developers, and more than 150 congregations from Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith traditions. Their mission is to mobilize congregations and people of all faiths to ensure decent, safe and affordable housing for everyone in the Twin Cities metropolitan community.
Our Nation
The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) engages in public education, policy advocacy, and grassroots organizing to meets its mission of ending homelessness
Sue Watlov Phillips, Elim's Founder and Executive Director, is a National Coalition for the Homeless (NHC) Board Member.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated solely to ending America's affordable housing crisis. Elim is a part of this coalition through its membership in the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, a state partner of the NLIHC.
WRAP vs. Federal Funding
The Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP) is an organization determined to make ending homelessness a national priority. WRAP strives to shape public policies that address the systemic causes of poverty and homelessness. WRAP provides legislators in Washington, DC with a constant, consistent, and constituent-informed message from the west coast.
WRAP has been vocal in creating awareness for the growth in the number of homeless people resulting from dramatic cuts in Federal funding for affordable housing, health care, education and employment initiatives.
WRAP describes the report as a "...thoroughly documented using federal budget data and other sources" to describe the pain and frustration experienced by those who feel abandoned by a federal government.
20th Anniversary of the McKinney-Vento Act
The McKinney-Vento Act is July 22, 2007. The National Low Income Housing Coaltion has released a 20th Anniversary Consensus Statement.
The Statement notes that the anniversay "calls for reflection on the persistence of mass homelessness in the United States..."
Elim Director Meets Rep. Keith Ellison
Sue Watlov Phillips, Elim's Founder and Executive Director, had an opportunity to meet with her congressman, Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL MN 5th District) while attending a recent conference in Washington, DC.
Sue was in Washington attending the NLIHC Annual Conference held this last February, 2007.