Author: Rebecca Noecker

Rebecca Noecker 2 min read

Engagement Done Right

At the beginning of a summer now edging toward fall, I had the chance to attend the We Live Here community meeting hosted by the W. 7th/Fort Road Federation. I came away energized and grateful for a convening that was impressive in many ways. 

First, it was genuine. Too many community engagement sessions seem to be done for show or to “check the box” to say they’ve engaged the community when they knew what they intended to do all along. This meeting was the opposite. There was no preconceived agenda, no ulterior motive beyond an authentic desire to hear from people who live and work in the neighborhood. Notes were taken at each table and shared with everyone who attended, so it was clear what was heard and what was done with our input.

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Rebecca Noecker 2 min read

Housing, Economic Growth and More – The Year Ahead for the St. Paul HRA

I’m honored to have been chosen by my colleagues to chair the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The HRA is responsible for much of the work I believe is critical to building a fair and just community – creating more affordable housing and keeping our small businesses strong. To make sure people at all income levels can afford to live in St. Paul, we need many more affordable homes of many more types and sizes in all of our neighborhoods. To keep our neighborhoods strong, we need to support the small businesses that are at the heart of them. 

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