Winona Area Kitchen Table

We know many people in the Winona area struggle to find safe, affordable housing, so our Winona Area Kitchen Table program focuses on advancing solutions to the housing crisis in Winona and across the state of Minnesota.

The Winona Area Kitchen Table is a leadership cohort of local community members who have faced housing instability or homelessness. Since May 2023, the cohort has brought their own lived experience and invited cross-sector stakeholders to work together on solutions to housing issues that will work in our community.

This work is supported by the Heading Home Minnesota Funders Collaborative. Heading Home Minnesota Funders Collaborative (HHMFC) is a member organization of grantmakers working together to innovate, incubate, and advocate for strategies to prevent and end homelessness.

About the program

At Winona Area Kitchen Table, we believe in the power of community, collaboration, and policy to make meaningful change. Our work is grounded in lived experience—from housing instability to advocacy—and we are committed to creating pathways where people and communities can thrive. We know we can’t do this work alone—and we don't want to. Building strong, lasting relationships is at the core of how we create change together.

Program objectives include:

  • building relationships between people with lived experience and key stakeholders,

  • collective visioning and design of solutions, and

  • motivating support for tangible change in both policy and practice to support greater housing affordability and access

In 2024, Kitchen Table participants concentrated their advocacy on a local housing trust fund for the City of Winona, with Kitchen Table members participating in public hearings and sharing information with decisionmakers. The Local Housing Trust Fund passed in December with a unanimous vote from our city council members, and we are continuing to advocate for dedicated funding.

In 2025, WAKT is sharpening its focus on zoning, housing education, narrative change, and landlord engagement. These key areas will shape how we advocate for better housing policies and build strong local partnerships.

This program is part of a statewide policy advocacy initiative focused on preventing housing crises and eliminating disparities. We’re working closely with regional cohorts in Duluth and Minneapolis, and together the cohorts identify shared priorities and make recommendations to improve housing in Minnesota.

How you can get involved

The Winona Area Kitchen Table hosts several public events each year and shares periodic updates in Engage Winona’s newsletter. The best way to stay informed on ways to be involved is to sign up for our newsletter!

 

Community Testimonial

Angela Boozhoo shares about the Winona Area Kitchen Table’s impact.