Hello New Ulm residents,

I trust that Bockfest was another success for the city .

My name is Kaye Rysdahl and I am a born and raised New Ulm-er. If you know me, it’s probably because I am daughter to Dr. Scott Rysdahl and GiGi Rysdahl. I love New Ulm and the surrounding communities and am filled with joy each time I get back home.

Through the social work program, students are placed in an internship at BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) run and focused organizations/agencies. This year I am an intern at the Minneapolis American Indian Center in St. Paul. I have loved my time working with this agency and its amazing community and have learned so much.

One thing I have observed as I’ve listened to the staff and our clients is the drastic need for more affordable housing. Many of the clients I work with are young mothers with young children. Having a stable home is a necessity to having access to good education and being in a spot to take advantage of that opportunity. It’s vital to good health since it gets you out of extreme weather and provides you with a healthy and clean space. Secure and safe housing is so important for MN residents, and secure and safe places to live are only beneficial when they are affordable and accessible. Even our mothers who have section 8 housing (public assistance program for housing needs) are stressed to find places since there is not an abundance of feasible options.

Because of the great need I have seen for affordable housing and the value I place on having a secure and stable home (thankful for my New Ulm childhood home and the security I always took for granted), I am writing this letter to ask all readers and residents of New Ulm to support Bill HF 3640. This bill declares that landlords, sellers, brokers, agents, and all other people offering housing by purchase are prohibited from discriminating against possible renters/buyers because of use or eligibility of public assistance programs (like section 8). When people apply for housing, with the protections of this bill, landlords and such are not allowed to turn these applicants down on account of their participation in public assistance programs. It is already prohibited that people be discriminated against because of their gender, race, religion, etc. but this bill expands to cover protections for individuals participating in public assistance programs.

The passage of this bill will help protect my clients’ access to affordable housing as well as other Minnesota and specifically New Ulm residents. I feel strongly Bill HF 3640 should be passed into law. Therefore, I ask you all to engage in the discussions surrounding this bill and that you support this impending law.

People in Minnesota should not be discriminated against because of their financial status.

Those in opposition to the bill being passed are likely to complain about loss of control for landlords and sellers, who worry they will have less options to deny people. This should not be a concern because the individuals included in this bill use public assistance. Therefore, the only thing they lose is the ability to discriminate against people on account of bias and assumptions. There are no valid reasons to not support this bill.

When we do check-ins on the progress of our moms’ individual goals, the celebration and relief on their faces when they have found a new apartment is beautiful.

— Kaye Rysdahl is a St. Paul resident who was New Ulm born and raised