Uptown isn't working right now — for anyone.

Residents, small businesses, and people experiencing homelessness are all feeling the strain. Too many people remain unsheltered in unsafe conditions. Open drug use in public spaces has become impossible to ignore. Public spaces feel less clean and less safe. And months of disruption from federal immigration enforcement have added to the instability many in the neighborhood are already facing.

The status quo isn't working — and it's time to say so, together.

We want to be clear about what we're asking for: real improvements in conditions for everyone in Uptown — including people who are currently unsheltered or struggling with addiction. Displacing people without services, or criminalizing poverty, doesn't make Uptown better. But neither does inaction. Our community deserves a response that is both humane and effective.

This letter-writing campaign is about outcomes, not ideology.

We're asking City leaders to move from plans to action — with visible, measurable improvements and real accountability. The goals are ones many in our community broadly share:

• Fewer people living unsheltered outdoors
• When encampments are cleared, people have somewhere safe to go — no one moved without a real indoor alternative
• Open drug use addressed as a public health crisis — with meaningful intervention and access to services, not just enforcement or displacement
• Clean and safe public spaces as a basic public health standard for everyone
• Clear timelines and transparency about what comes next

The campaign is structured in stages — each letter building on the last, increasing expectations without escalating rhetoric — to reflect urgency while giving leaders time to act.

Add your voice.

You can send the letter as written or personalize it with your own perspective. Every message goes directly to the elected officials responsible for conditions in Uptown — including our City Council member.

This is about speaking up together — constructively and consistently — to move Uptown toward real improvement for everyone who lives, works, and spends time here.

Uptown residents are also organizing community-led initiatives, including the new Community Ambassador Program — volunteer neighborhood walks and stewardship efforts that complement this campaign.

To learn more, visit UptownUnitedMPLS.org