Rehab Begins at 915 22nd Ave N!

Post and photos by Jeff Skrenes, Hawthorne Neighborhood Council Housing Director

Rehab work is in full swing at 915 22nd Ave N, making it impossible for no-accounts to use the spot as a place to come and deal or use drugs. Neighbors are happy to see the progress, and we hope the house will be sold to a good owner-occupant in the near future!

915 22nd Ave N: Fence It Off, Fix It Up, or Tear It Down!

Post and photos by Jeff Skrenes, Hawthorne Neighborhood Council Housing Director

Earlier in the summer, Hawthorne residents brought drug use problems at 915 22nd Ave N to my attention. We still have not stopped people from sneaking around to the back of the property, shooting up, lurking, and leaving their drug paraphernalia and other litter behind. Every time I've gone to this property, there have been more needles and litter strewn throughout the yard. What makes this an especially difficult problem to address is that it is quite literally impossible to see what's going on from the street or alley. The house is built in such a way that one can stand on the steps to the back/side door and be completely hidden.

The only way to confirm whether someone is back there is to actually go around the corner and check for oneself. This is not a safe activity for the little old ladies running the nearby community garden to engage in. Heck, even for a strapping, corn-fed farmboy such as myself, checking this place out is pretty risky. As much as we respect the fine work done by the MPD, there's also no real way they can consistently monitor this property. Drug use, loitering, lurking, littering and other activities reportedly happen at all hours of the day.

It should be noted that due to the arson and current condition of the building, as well as its odd layout that blocks alley access for 2128 Dupont, the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council supports demolition of this structure, and a re-platting of the properties to extend 2128 and 2126 Dupont Ave N to the alley.

Either demolition or rehab will certainly take many months to accomplish, and unless action is taken, the illegal activities will continue unabated. Can we get the current owner of the property to fence it off and limit access in the meantime?

Drug Use Issues at 915 22nd Ave N

Post and photos by Jeff Skrenes, Hawthorne Neighborhood Council Housing Director

A Hawthorne resident called me today to inform the neighborhood council about drug use happening at the back door of 915 22nd Ave N. This property, owned by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, is being cleaned out after arson was suspected some time ago. The neighborhood would like to see the structure demolished and have the property lines redrawn at 2126 and 2128 Dupont to create two properties that continue all the way to the alley.

In the meantime, block club members and residents have started up a community garden nearby, with the help of the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council and Urban Homeworks. Block club participants report drug use activity happening at all hours of the day.


Where things become tricky is that the rear doorway where the activity takes place is quite literally impossible to see from the street or the alley. One has to go around the corner just to see the alcove. Naturally, residents are hesitant to do so, worried about who or what they might encounter.



Phone calls have been made to CM Hofstede, Minnesota Housing, and the 4th Precinct. Having virtually no witnesses to the activity makes official reporting problematic. Our goal at this time is to get the cleanup crew to formally report to the MPD that they found upwards of 40-50 needles on the back steps so that there is at least a trail of documentation. Any residents who see signs of illicit activity, even lurking, at this property, are urged to call 911.