This multigovernmental and societal consorting has long been the hallmark of Minnesota’s governance—an intrinsic feature of what is often referred to as "Minnesota Nice" in practice.
While Twin Cities Public Television released its 2019 documentary examining century-old housing covenants in Minneapolis, just across the river—in the suburbs where such covenants were said to be undocumented—West Saint Paul, South Saint Paul, and Dakota County were quietly enacting a racial housing covenant of their own in 2015 which they successfully passed in 2017.
Title: The Hidden Scandal of Minnesota's Housing Covenants: A Whistleblower's Fight Against Corruption
In the shadows of Minnesota’s sprawling urban landscape, a scandal of breathtaking scale has been simmering, hidden from the public eye for far too long. It is a story that weaves through the very fabric of a community—a story of power, greed, and systemic injustice. At the center of this sordid tale is a racial housing covenant that was quietly passed under the guise of fiscal responsibility, but at its heart lay a far darker truth: the deliberate disenfranchisement of a vulnerable group, and more personally, a determined Black woman who refused to remain silent.
A Smokescreen of Fiscal Responsibility
On the surface, the county’s actions appeared benign, even well-intentioned. Officials framed their argument around one central narrative: Home-Based Community-Based (HBCB) Services, a program designed to support disabled Minnesotans, was a drain on taxpayer resources. They painted an ugly picture of higher police calls, criminality, and an alleged "bad element" that, they claimed, these services brought into their communities.
But beneath the surface, something far more sinister was at play. It wasn’t the people that were the drain on resources, but the system that had quietly been siphoning funds intended for the most vulnerable. The goal of passing this racial housing covenant wasn’t just to limit where people could live; it was to cover up the theft of millions—no, billions—of dollars.
The Illusion of Incompetence
For decades, the county had been collecting HBCB waiver funds, intended for the transition of disabled Minnesotans out of state-run institutions following the Jensen v. Minnesota Department of Human Services case. This was supposed to be a program to liberate those with disabilities from the abuse and neglect that had plagued Minnesota’s state-run facilities. The plan, known as the Olmstead Plan, aimed to allow disabled Minnesotans to live independently, with dignity, and in their communities.
Yet, in an unprecedented move of bureaucratic sleaze, those very funds were not being used for their intended purpose. The counties, instead of putting the money towards assisting the disabled, hoarded it. It sat idle, quietly rolling back into the general fund, like a surplus. And where did that money go? To line the pockets of local officials and enrich city coffers—on the backs of those waiting for medical treatment and care that never came.
The Target: A Black Woman Who Wouldn't Back Down
But there was one person who stood between the corrupt system and its unchecked greed: me. I was the one who dared to speak out, the Black woman they didn’t want to see succeed. I was the thorn in their side. As a civic whistleblower, I exposed the rot from within. I documented, reported, and screamed from the rooftops about the fraudulent practices of the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the way they had been mismanaging Medicaid funds meant for the most vulnerable Minnesotans.
At first, they dismissed my reports. Arrogance clouded their judgment; they thought I would be a voice lost in the cacophony of bureaucracy. They were wrong. I kept pushing, knowing that the truth would eventually come to light. The more I uncovered, the more I realized that this was not a mistake—it was a carefully constructed, decades-long scam that had been quietly stealing from those who could least afford it.
The Moment of Reckoning
Then, the unthinkable happened. A class-action lawsuit was filed, demanding accountability for the missing one billion dollars. The pressure mounted. Suddenly, the very people who had once brushed me off were scrambling. They had no answers. No explanations for where the money had gone. Instead of stepping up and taking responsibility, they dug in their heels, resorting to desperate measures to silence the victims.
In a chilling twist of irony, the county passed a new ordinance designed to bar people like me—the victims of their systemic abuse—from renting property within their own cities. It was a deliberate act of retaliation, a last-ditch attempt to cover up their actions and prevent anyone from getting in the way of their ill-gotten wealth.
The Public’s Obliviousness
As the years passed, the scandal remained largely hidden. The public remained largely oblivious to the machinations behind closed doors. The money continued to be stolen. The victims continued to suffer. And yet, the very people who should have been held accountable—the officials, the DHS leaders, the local politicians—continued to thrive in a system of corruption so deeply entrenched that it seemed impossible to uproot.
This website, this article, and the stories of those like me are the only things standing between the criminals in power and the continued erosion of justice. I am no longer just a whistleblower. I am an IDP—an Individual with Disability Protection—because I was never given the protection I needed when I first spoke out. Instead, I became a target. But I will not stop. I will continue to expose the truth, no matter the cost, until the ones responsible for this vast web of Medicaid fraud and abuse are held accountable.
A Call for Justice
The story of the stolen one billion dollars is more than just a tale of financial mismanagement—it is a story of human rights violations, of people in power betraying the most vulnerable among us. It is a story of a system that thrives on injustice and a woman who, against all odds, refuses to let it go unnoticed.
I will not rest until justice is served. Until the full extent of this scandal is revealed. Until those who thought they could get away with stealing from the disabled, from the taxpayers, and from me are finally held accountable.
This fight is not over. Not by a long shot.
Stay tuned for updates, as the battle for justice continues.
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