Letters - Feb 2026

I’m cold: A teen’s view on homelessness
Homelessness is a very prevalent issue in the Twin Cities, and more specifically the Midway neighborhood. I have lived in the Midway my whole life, and it’s always been a fact that whenever I drive along Snelling from 94, north to Thomas Ave., I will encounter homeless people. I have watched some of the same people in the same spots year after year. Now that winter has truly begun the same thought I have had all my life resurfaces in my head as I walk through my neighborhood. “I’m cold.” I’m cold now, and I’ve only been outside for a few minutes. I’m cold and I’m wearing a warm coat. I’m cold and I have a warm house to go to. These people have been living on the streets for years, through many winters. Imagine how cold they are.

Homelessness has existed in the Twin Cities since the 1980s. Back then the homeless population was mostly white adult males and the idea of family homelessness was non-existent. Many different organizations and the Catholic Churches of the Twin Cities have been offering assistance since the beginning, but the issue has only grown. When COVID-19 hit the issue only got worse. Many people were left without jobs and without homes, and the issue still persists. There is currently a large homelessness encampment in Pigs Eye Park in which around 350 people are living in tents. Catholic Charities and other organizations have been at full capacity for many months which leaves tents as the only option for all these people. Tents and beds are only a temporary solution. The long-term solution is to build more affordable housing.

Recently a project called “Our Home State” was launched by the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, the F.R. Bigelow Foundation and the Mardag Foundation. This is a five-year, $20 million initiative to expand access to affordable housing and address housing instability in the state. The goal of this project is to not create a blanket solution for the state’s homelessness issue as every part of the state is different, but instead address the issue hands on through professionals that interact with the homeless on a daily basis. I sincerely hope that through this project and other efforts more affordable housing will be built so that everyone has a warm bed to sleep in at night. Then maybe next winter as I walk through the Midway neighborhood or drive down Snelling Ave., the only cold fixture lining the sidewalks will be snow.

Odilia Lang
Central High School student

Let’s make housing reform a priority
Almost every report of a murder or mass-shooting by someone with a history of domestic violence or in a mental health crisis is followed by the questions, “How or why did they have access to a gun? Couldn’t this have been prevented?” In 2023, most of the gun deaths in Minnesota were suicides, accounting for 72%, while 26% were homicides.

Unfortunately, too few know that a preventative action is possible. A Minnesota law enacted two years ago has already had a positive and helpful impact..

The Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law creates a critical window of time and space between a person in crisis and their access to firearms. Commonly known as “red flag laws,” ERPOs are civil court orders that temporarily prohibit individuals who pose a significant danger to themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

An ERPO is not a criminal charge; it is a preventative measure designed to protect lives, reduce harm, and provide time to connect individuals in crisis to the help they may need. An ERPO petition can be filed by a family member, by law enforcement, or a city or county attorney. When the ERPO expires, firearms can be returned to the owner.

In its first year, 2024, Minnesota’s ERPO law resulted in 135 ERPO petitions filed statewide. The number of ERPO petitions filed by August of 2025 already surpassed the number for all of 2024. A recent multistate study found that one life was saved for every 17 to 23 ERPOs issued.
Full information on ERPO can be found by simply doing a web search for “ERPO in Minnesota,” or by contacting city or county law enforcement.

Glen Herrington-Hall
Como

Let’s make housing reform a priority
I moved to St. Paul a few years ago, and I’d barely been here a month when I had that quintessential Minnesota experience of a stranger helping me free my car from the snow. I love this city and would like to stay for many years, but I’m currently priced out of home ownership – as are most of my friends.

It’s no secret that Minnesota does not have enough housing to satisfy the needs of Minnesotans; according to some estimates, we need 100,000 more homes than are currently available. Unfortunately, Minnesota’s current zoning rules make it more difficult to build new, affordable housing; it’s not surprising that that housing deficit has doubled since 2018.

When the state legislature convenes in the new year, they should make housing reform one of their top priorities. Legislation that would ease requirements on parking lots and elevators, for example, could help increase housing density and start putting a dent in that deficit. I hope you’ll join me in contacting your state reps and urging them to support bills that would promote affordable housing; at such a polarized time, this could be an area where both sides can collaborate.

Justin Quam
Selby-Dale