WHEREAS, Cora McCorvey started as the first executive director of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) when it became a separate entity from the city of Minneapolis in 1991 and has served as its director since; and
WHEREAS, Ms. McCorvey oversees all aspects of 42 high rise buildings and 5,940 total public housing units; and
WHEREAS, her initial efforts in public service included convincing Congress to permit senior designation of public housing developments and establishing a Head Start facility in Glendale; and
WHEREAS, she oversaw the implementation of the historic Hollman Consent Decree, which successfully deconcentrated public housing in near north Minneapolis and established some of the first public housing developments in suburban areas in the nation; and
WHEREAS, under Ms. McCorvey’s leadership, MPHA created the first public housing assisted living program and memory care development in the nation and established food shelves and senior centers that resulted in more than 40 national awards of merit and excellence; and
WHEREAS, Ms. McCorvey is currently leading efforts in the MPHA’s “Shelter-to-Housing” initiative to enable the construction of Minnehaha Townhomes, a 16-unit townhome development that will provide permanent housing for large, low-income families leaving Hennepin County homeless shelters; and
WHEREAS, during her 25 years as Executive Director/CEO, MPHA’s entire body of work was focused on the preservation of its housing portfolio and creation of new housing opportunities for tens of thousands of the city’s most needy and vulnerable citizens; and
WHEREAS, Ms. McCorvey has created diverse workforces with more than half of her staff composed of people of color, and for seven out of the past 10 years, MPHA has been recognized by the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) as “Affiliate of the Year”; and
WHEREAS, Ms. McCorvey and MPHA have been the recipient of numerous prestigious local and national awards including five recent National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Awards of Merit for its community revitalization work and resident service initiatives; therefore