Priority Issues + Impact

• Launched a 10-year, $91 million strategy through the Housing & Redevelopment Authority to build 1,000 deeply affordable homes (≤ 30% area median income) with on-site services. 

• Helped effectively end veteran homelessness in Hennepin County, meeting federal benchmarks so veterans are moved into permanent housing in under 90 days on average. 

• I eliminated the pay-to-stay model in shelters, ensuring people experiencing homelessness can keep their resources and rebuild stability. 

• Expanded renter supports: emergency assistance in housing court, tenant-based rental assistance, and an affordable housing stabilization fund to keep people housed. 

• Advanced Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing, converting properties into low-barrier units aligned with public health needs.

The Current Moment

• With federal instability and rising housing costs outpacing wages, local government is the first and last line of defense against displacement. I am committed to ensuring that every resident – regardless of income, background, or circumstance – can live with dignity and stay housed in the communities they call home. 

Statements:

• Housing Statement: We Need Leaders Who Invest in Outcomes Over Optics

Every resident deserves access to safe, affordable, and reliable public transit across Hennepin County.

• Led the new direction for the Blue Line Extension, restarting the stalled project and ensuring it centers North Minneapolis residents, workers, families, and affordability. 

• Commissioner Lunde and I created the first anti-displacement workgroup of its kind, ensuring the Blue Line Extension protects current residents and businesses. 

• Advocated to increase the wheelage tax, securing $10M annually for safer, well-maintained county roads. 

• Secured funding for the Highway 55 Bus Rapid Transit study, expanding safe, reliable multimodal transportation options. 

Statements:

• I helped strengthened Hennepin Healthcare, helping preserve and stabilize Minnesota’s last public safety-net hospital during a period of major financial troubles and leadership transition. 

• Expanded culturally specific reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare, securing continued county funding for providers serving marginalized residents. 

• Commissioner Conley and I declared racism a public health crisis, committing the county to addressing inequities in outcomes, access, and investment. 

• Invested in youth behavioral health, including funding a new regional youth crisis stabilization center. 

• Ensured widespread access to NARCAN for county staff, expanding overdose prevention and life-saving capacity. 

The Current Moment

• With federal cuts and rising health needs, local leadership is crucial to protecting safety-net healthcare and addressing health disparities that have been ignored for generations. 

Statements:

Statement on Proposed Hennepin Board Action to Dissolve the HHS Board

Statement on HHS Financials and the Hennepin Governance Vote

Remarks: Cutting Medicaid is Not an Option

Every resident deserves dignity, safety, and access to opportunity – no matter where they were born or what papers they carry.

• I helped expand the Immigrant Legal Defense Fund, ensuring residents have access to free legal representation regardless of immigration status. 

• As ___, I strengthened Adult Representation Services, increasing capacity for immigrant legal support and culturally responsive council. 

• I publicly defended immigrant rights and condemned the increase in violent immigration enforcement, as federal policy grows hostile. 

The Current Moment

As violent federal attacks on immigrants continue to escalate, local leadership is increasingly the last line of protection. Irene works to ensure Hennepin County remains a welcoming, safe place for all.

Bodily autonomy, dignity, and identity are fundamental human rights. I work to ensure our policies protect and uplift people’s right to be themselves – and to access the healthcare they need. 

• Co-authored a county board action affirming gender-affirming care and protections for transgender and nonbinary residents. 

• Secured continued county funding for reproductive health, birth justice, and gender-affirming providers serving marginalized communities. 

• Championed recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance, affirming the voices and lives of trans and nonbinary people. 

• She expanded county-wide inclusion by supporting all-gender and single-occupancy restrooms and strengthening nondiscrimination policies. 

The Current Moment

• As reproductive and gender rights face growing attacks at the federal and state levels, local government must serve as a defender. Irene ensures Hennepin County protects access to care, safety, and dignity for all – especially for those most at risk. 

Statements

Statement on the Third Anniversary of the Overturning of Roe v. Wade

Statement on Gender-affirming Actions Led by My Office This Year

Climate justice requires repairing harm in communities that have borne the greatest environmental burdens. I push for solutions that protect health, advance equity, and build long-term sustainability.

• Initiated the plan to close the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) on the earliest possible timeline, pushing the county toward cleaner, zero-waste, community-focused solutions. 

• Advanced the county’s Climate Action Plan, centering the neighborhoods most impacted by pollution and climate harm. 

• Expanded tree-canopy restoration and environmental health investments, securing ongoing funding to rebuild healthy, resilient urban environments. 

• Supported watershed and stormwater resilience projects, improving water quality and infrastructure from North Minneapolis to suburban lakes and rivers. 

The Current Moment

With climate impacts accelerating due to climate change and federal protections greatly weakening, local action is essential. Irene ensures environmental decisions benefit the residents who have historically been overlooked and overburdened.

Statements

Resident Request: HERC Communications with City of Minneapolis (July 31 to November 6)

On the Future of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC)

Statement on Board Action to Create a HERC Closure Plan

Economic strength comes from investing directly in people – especially communities historically excluded from capital, opportunity, and stability. 

• Irene expanded Elevate Hennepin, supporting over 3,100 small businesses and helping launch more than 200 new businesses – the majority owned by entrepreneurs of color and women. 

• She secured millions in small-business relief, stabilizing local employers during COVID-19 and the economic recovery. 

She advanced equitable workforce initiatives, aligning county jobs with training pathways and reducing barriers for youth and underrepresented workers. 

The Current Moment:

Federal volatility and rising costs hit small businesses and workers first. Irene’s leadership ensures Hennepin’s economic growth is shared, stable, and rooted in community well-being.