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Committee hears testimony for $2.5 million request to expand services at Ujamaa Place
Summary
Representative Hussain and Ujamaa Place leaders and participants told the committee that the nonprofit’s wraparound services help young Black men with housing, job training and mental health supports. The author asked for $2.5 million across two fiscal years; the committee laid the measure over.
Representative Ilhan Hussain carried House File 108, an appropriation request on behalf of Ujamaa Place, a Minneapolis nonprofit that provides housing, job training, mentorship and mental‑health supports for primarily African American men aged 18–30.
Interim CEO Michael Belton described Ujamaa Place’s multi‑service model and asked the committee to approve $2,500,000 for fiscal years 2026–27 to continue and expand services. Two program participants, Titus Forsin and Joshua Thomas, testified about personal experience with housing, life‑skills training and community supports. “Ujamaa … is a peaceful garden for people who look like myself,” Thomas said.
Representative Hussain framed the request as an investment to address disparities in unemployment and economic mobility for Black Minnesotans. He described higher joblessness and barriers to higher‑paid work in the African American community and said Ujamaa Place supports stability and workforce entry.
Committee members asked about program reach and outcomes; witnesses described wraparound services, mentoring and employment results. No further action was taken at the hearing; House File 108 was laid over for future consideration.
