Heading Home Hennepin Newsletter
In this issue:
- Last call for Point In Time Count volunteers
-
RentHelpMN Application Deadline Friday, January 28 at 9:00 p.m.
- New trans equity guidelines information session
-
New Minnesota Shelter Emergency Staffing Pool
-
DHS requesting proposals to provide supportive housing services for adults with serious mental illness
Last chance to sign up as a Point in Time Count volunteer for the unsheltered count! Volunteers are needed to conduct short surveys with people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Training information and a link to sign up for shifts can be found at www.hennepin.us/pit-2022
Key information on volunteer shifts:
- Most shifts are indoors
- There are time slots available through February 3rd, 2022.
- The training has been recorded. Watch any time before your shift.
Emergency Shelters and Transitional Living Programs should prioritize accurate data
If you are an Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, or Safe Haven program that participates in HMIS, your job is to enter complete and accurate data into HMIS like you usually do! Complete your data entry for PIT night as quickly and completely as possible, and watch for communications from your Regional System Administrators that contain any targeted data corrections needed.
Remember: do NOT complete PIT LIVE. All of your data will be pulled from HMIS
Learn more: Point-in-Time (PIT) Count Night is Fast Approaching — Minnesota's HMIS (hmismn.org)
RentHelpMN Application Deadline Friday, January 28 at 9:00 p.m.
The RentHelpMN emergency rental assistance program has announced a submission deadline for new applications and re-applications. The deadline for renters to submit an application for the statewide RentHelpMN is Friday, January 28, 2022 at 9 p.m. The deadline will not impact existing submitted applications, which will continue to be processed, subject to funding availability.
Please note that applications that have been started but not submitted by January 28 will be considered withdrawn. They will not be processed and an incomplete application will not provide protection from eviction.
We realize this may affect households that continue to struggle to cover their rent and other housing costs. The need for help is greater than the funds available.
If you owe past-due rent, you may still apply for overdue rent, utilities, and up to one month of forward rent, but you must submit your application by the Friday, January 28, 9:00 p.m. deadline. Visit RentHelpMN.org to begin or continue with an application.
If you need assistance, please log in to your portal or call the helpline at 211 or 1.800.543.7709. Please be aware that wait times for help through 211 will be longer than usual due to high demand. If you have already submitted a RentHelpMN application, it will continue to be processed and you do not need to call 211 unless you have an immediate question. You can log in to your account to check on the application status.
The City of Minneapolis is developing new trans equity guidelines to attach to contracts with shelters and other social service providers, and we’re hoping to expand this across the Continuum of Care as well. We’re still exploring implementation strategies, but wanted to share a draft of the City of Minneapolis Gender Identity Equity Requirements for City Funded Shelters for initial feedback. We will be holding an information session on this initiative on Friday, February 4th from 9:30-10:30 AM – Teams link below.
Information session:
What: Trans Equity Guidelines information session
When: Friday, February 4th, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
To join the meeting: Click here
Call in: +1 612-276-6670,,177101926#, Phone Conference ID: 177 101 926#
Contact:
Track Trachtenberg (they/them), City of Minneapolis Trans Equity Project Coordinator, at track.trachtenberg@minneapolismn.gov
New Minnesota Shelter Emergency Staffing Pool
The Minnesota Shelter Emergency Staffing Pool is a short-term initiative designed in response to the acute COVID-19 related staffing challenges at shelters and other temporary congregate settings for people experiencing homelessness or domestic violence. The Minnesota Shelter Emergency Staffing Pool is a partnership between ServeMN and Worldwide Travel Staffing to help shelters weather the COVID-related staffing crisis by deploying individuals on a shift-by-shift basis where needs are greatest. This effort is expected to operate over the next two months or so, as needs dictate.
Eligible facilities are congregate settings that require people to be experiencing homelessness in order to access your program. This can include:
- homeless shelters
- shelters for domestic violence survivors
- board and lodge settings
Tune in to the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness weekly webinar (click here to register) to learn more about this new resource. You can fill out the application for emergency staffing support online. If you have questions about the application or process, please send an email to Naomi Zuk-Fisher, ServeMN consultant and Minnesota Shelter Emergency Staffing Pool lead.
DHS requesting proposals to provide supportive housing services for adults with serious mental illness
Proposals due by March 31, 2022 at 4 p.m.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services is requesting proposals to provide supportive services for people with serious mental illness who are homeless, long-term homeless, or exiting institutions, and who have complex needs and face high barriers to obtaining and maintaining housing.
The RFP can be viewed by visiting the Minnesota Department of Human Services Grants, Requests for Proposals (RFP) and Requests for Information (RFI) webpage: https://mn.gov/dhs/partners-and-providers/grants-rfps/open-rfps/
The Heading Home Hennepin monthly newsletter aims to be a resource for the community of individuals that work to increase housing stability for residents of Hennepin County. Share feedback here.
|
