Hausman named legislator of year

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Minnesota presented St. Paul District 66A Rep. Alice Hausman with a Legislator of the Year Award at its annual conference, held in St. Paul on Nov. 5. The award recognizes a legislator who has been an outspoken advocate for children and adults with mental illness and their families.

“Rep. Hausman is a strong advocate for affordable and supportive housing. She understands that without a home, recovery is difficult. While serving on the Capitol Investment Committee she has strongly advocated that funding for developing housing and addressing homelessness be in the bonding bill,” said NAMI’s executive director Sue Abderholden. “She was also the key advocate for funding the planning and remodeling of the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter. We know that the buildings there are not designed to be a therapeutic environment and NAMI advocated strongly for that funding. In addition to her interest in housing, she also authored a bill to increase the number of school support personnel to help all children succeed.

“This fall, Rep. Hausman met with NAMI members to hear about their concerns and NAMI’s legislative goals for 2017. She has taken what she learned that night to heart and has continually repeated the common theme—the need for everyone to have a place they can call home. We are so fortunate to have her as an advocate for housing and very pleased to call her a friend.”