As we continue our series featuring reflections from members of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Advocacy Fellowship, we’re highlighting the experiences and insights fellows gained throughout this year’s legislative session. Through advocacy, relationship-building, and sharing their lived expertise, fellows helped advance conversations about housing justice across Minnesota.
In this reflection below, MCH Advocacy Fellow Randi Wickham shares how the Fellowship strengthened her confidence as an advocate, deepened her understanding of the legislative process, and reinforced the power of lived experience in shaping policy.
[RANDI]: This legislative session was one of the most educational, insightful, and challenging for me as an advocate. It helped me see the legislators and the process in a different light. I was able to see the legislators as individual people and recognize how important building relationships really is. The pre-session caucus events were a bit overwhelming at first. Still, as I attended more, I was able to step outside of my comfort zone and approach strangers, knowing that we are all there for the same reason and the issues are truly bipartisan.
As the session started, we had a plan, a team, and we knew our goal. I worked on” Sustain The Gain” trying to get money to cover the gap in funding for Permanent Supportive Housing. We had a great team, which made it so much easier to understand and work together. I did testify in front of the House and Senate committees virtually. That was a challenge because I was sharing some of my most traumatic experiences with strangers, but I surprised myself by stepping way outside my comfort zone and also speaking at a press conference.
The thing that really helped me get through it was realizing how important it is to give the legislators real examples of how the policies affect us, because as a person with lived experience, I truly am the expert, and it is my job as an advocate to educate the legislators.
One of the most powerful experiences I had was at DOTH. There was a committee vote on Emergency Rental Assistance, and the hallway outside the chambers was packed with people waiting to hear the outcome. It put into perspective how many people and organizations these policies affect, and the sheer volume of people made it a very powerful experience. The vote passing was the icing on the cake. We were able to see it from start to finish and really understand the advocate’s journey.
Being a part of this Fellowship has given me insight and confidence in myself and my abilities as an advocate and person with lived experience of homelessness.
The fellowship allowed me to recognize my strengths and brought me out of my comfort zone. Through testimonies, leading policies, and learning from the team, I am growing and learning constantly. The amazing staff at MCH has given me the support and freedom to become a better advocate and person. Every day, I am grateful to be part of this amazing team and community, and I am confident that when this Fellowship ends, I will have gained new skills and become an even stronger advocate and leader.
