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Hollman Archives

NEWS BRIEF - Hollman Update: Legal Aid seeks sanctions against City
- Also published in the MN Spokesman-Recorder newspaper, 24 Dec 2003 (print only)
      On December 5 Minneapolis Legal Aid filed a motion in Federal Court seeking an order
that imposes financial penalties on the City of Minneapolis in excess of $345,000 plus
legal costs for being in default of its duties under the Hollman Consent Decree
(the settlement of a housing discrimination lawsuit).
      Legal Aid contends that the city could have assured timely completion of housing
units for poor people at Heritage Park, formerly the site of a huge public housing project
on the near North side of Minneapolis.  The City had originally agree to have all of the
Heritage Park units ready for occupancy by the end of 2001. The deadline was
subsequently pushed back to 2002, then October 2004. The city recently asked for
an extension of the deadline to May 2005, but now expects to get the work done no
sooner than the fall of 2005.
     If Legal Aid's motion is approved, the City will be compelled to fulfill its obligations
under the Hollman Consent Decree, even if the City is less than fully successful in suing
the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to cover some of the remaining
construction costs. The date for a hearing on this matter has not been set, but is likely to be
scheduled during the week ending January 23. The NAACP withdrew as a party to the Hollman
Consent Degree in October 2003.

NAACP "withdraws" from the Hollman Housing Lawsuit?
NAACP supports City's motions in Court without endorsement by branch membership
Doug Mann, 17 October 2003
   A press release dated October 15, 2003 says "Dennis Courtland Hayes, NAACP General Counsel, announced today that the Minneapolis Branch NAACP has withdrawn as a plaintiff in the housing case Hollman v. Martinez..."  This is news to most of the branch membership, and possibly to the Court...

Don't give them shelter:
The City's legal strategy [to not replace] demolished public housing
by Doug Mann, Pulse of the Twin Cities  
Originally posted Sept. 24, 2003   

In 1992 the NAACP and Legal Aid of Minneapolis filed a lawsuit, Hollman v Cisneros, on behalf of public housing tenants against the City of Minneapolis, the Metropolitan Council and the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for policies that concentrated poverty and people of color in certain neighborhoods.

More delays plague Hollman/Heritage Park
By: Shannon Gibney, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 10/8/2003

Latest glitch involves $7 million in contested HUD funding

   If the fox is in the hen house, the farmer isn’t watching the brood. It’s a simple metaphor, but nevertheless it elegantly illustrates the current state of the Hollman/Heritage Park project — now...
NAACP gag order
16 October 2003.  Minneapolis NAACP Branch parliamentarian offers advice regarding Mr. Mann's coverage of NAACP's involvement with the Holman Consent Decree.

Text of Email to Brett Buckner,  Minneapolis NAACP branch president
Re: Hollman Consent Decree
From: Doug Mann
Date: October 15, 2003

Open Letter to the Minneapolis NAACP branch executive committee
Re: Hollman Consent Decree, October 17, 2003 Court Hearing
From: Doug Mann
Date: October 14, 2003

Here Comes the Judge: NAACP Officers not ready for Oct 17 Federal Court hearing
Support from the NAACP could save the City of Mpls. millions of dollars at plaintiffs' expense
Will NAACP officers try to sell out Hollman plaintiffs?
By Doug Mann, 13 October 2003

After dumping a housing committee chair without good cause, blocking the formation of a housing committee, and refusing to call a special branch meeting regarding the Hollman Consent Decree (the settlement of a housing discrimination lawsuit, see stories below), the Minneapolis NAACP branch executive committee is sending its lawyer to Federal Court, empty-handed. A special branch meeting on October 8 made recommendations that must be considered by the executive committee, then revisited by the general membership. But the clock has already run out.