The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has submitted a State Plan Amendment to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to terminate the Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) program.

DHS previously announced Aug. 1 that it was moving to terminate the HSS program due to widespread fraud. On Aug. 22, DHS posted for public comment the State Plan Amendment that would terminate the program. The public comment period ended Sept. 20.

All members of the public, including HSS providers and participants, were eligible to submit comments. DHS received over 200 comments, with most comments expressing opposition to ending the program due to the impacts it will have on enrollees, providers and services. Many comments expressed support for changes to the program focused on program integrity and quality assurance. Some expressed support for ending the program. Soon, DHS will provide a high-level summary of the comments received and DHS’ responses.

DHS has responded to feedback submitted during the public comment period, and has submitted the State Plan Amendment to CMS. The program will end Oct. 31, 2025. That will be the last day that services can be delivered. In addition, DHS will no longer accept new eligibility requests after Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, for review or approval.

DHS has compiled an FAQ for HSS providers and clients that contains all of the information available at this time. DHS will continue to update the FAQs and communicate with providers as more information is received.

DHS has been coordinating with counties, Tribes, Urban Indian organizations and Managed Care Organizations (MCO) to identify possible existing resources that could be helpful for people impacted by the planned end of HSS. You can find many of those resources at mn.gov/dhs/housing-resources.

We recognize that the loss of this program may have significant impact for some participants because it fills an important gap. Making these connections wherever possible is essential but won’t replace the services HSS delivered. It is also important to note that each of these resources has its own eligibility criteria. Being eligible for HSS does not automatically mean that an individual will be eligible for these other resources.

In the coming weeks, DHS will be working with CMS on public notification and providing information to participants, providers, and other partners on the possible resources identified. DHS will share more detailed information and guidance before the program’s end date.