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The Thanksgiving holiday this week prompts reflections on gratitude, as well as a more sober recognition of the ways that traditions can cloud our collective history or look very different to different members of our community. For some, focusing on gratitude during this holiday season motivates acts of charity, offering gifts or creating holiday meals for people who otherwise go hungry for nourishment and community. For others, romanticized tales of the first Thanksgiving continue to whitewash our country's genocidal treatment of Native people. For many right now, the most reverent expressions of gratitude are tinged with uncertainty and anxiety about the future, a future in which equal access to justice seems to remain out reach and some lives continue to matter more than others.
In these moments, we focus our gratitude on all of you who have made an affirmative commitment to justice, to caring for others, and to health, racial equity, and housing for all. We hope that each of you finds a time with loved ones to experience joy, to reflect, and to receive gratitude for your tireless dedication to serving people experiencing homelessness. Thank you.
The Office of Economic Opportunity at the Department of Human Services is seeking proposals from qualified responders (non-profit organizations, local unit of governments, Tribal governments) to acquire and/or renovate, equip, and furnish emergency shelter facilities for individuals and/or families experiencing homelessness. The request for proposal can be found on the DHS Open Grants, RFPs, and RFIs page. Proposals are due January 28, 2022.
Awarded funds will prioritize investments that help congregate shelter settings prevent transmission of infectious diseases, including physical modifications to spaces to reduce transmission risks or increase physical separation of shelter guests, and acquisition of new shelter space that can operate effectively either by design or through renovation in the context of an infectious disease outbreak. Approximately $17 million is available in grants. Please contact Katelyn Warburton with any questions.
As we move indoors during these colder months and celebrate the holidays, we want to send a reminder to be cautious and use all the tools available to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in congregate settings. This includes vaccination, masking, staying 6 feet away from others, increasing ventilation, decreasing density (the number of individuals in a space), and good hand hygiene. We continue to see rising cases in congregate settings and a high positivity rate across the state.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has guidelines for Holiday Celebrations which provide advice on safer ways to celebrate the holidays. There are several ways to enjoy holiday traditions and protect your health. Because many generations tend to gather to celebrate holidays, the best way to minimize COVID-19 risk and keep your family and friends safer is to get vaccinated if you’re eligible.
This infographic from CDC can help give ideas of simple measures you can take to protect yourself and others.
The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) has Federal Fiscal Recovery Funds available to support rapid responses to outbreaks in shelters and other temporary congregate settings for people experiencing homelessness or domestic violence. OEO will be working closely with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to allocate available funding for targeted, immediate outbreak response activities to support an effective response and reduce the health impacts for shelter guests and staff.
Funding is currently available to situations that meet these three qualifications:
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New expanded definition of congregate shelter - Operating a congregate shelter or temporary congregate setting that serves people experiencing homelessness, including survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and/or human trafficking with one or more of the following characteristics: shared bedrooms/sleeping areas, bathrooms, or dining areas, and
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Three or more cases of confirmed COVID-19 associated with a setting during their exposure or infectious period, and
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The applicant for funds is a nonprofit, local unit of government, or Tribal Nation.
If you meet these thresholds, the survey to request funding can be found on the Heading Home Alliance website. To allow you to request what you need as quickly as possible, you can complete multiple requests. Entities can request funding back to the allocation date of September 15, 2021. Our team will continue evaluate these funds and make changes as needed. The Heading Home Alliance site also has a list of frequently asked questions and answers and more detail on the buckets of allowable expenses to request funding for. If you have additional questions, please email Andrea Simonett.
Join us today from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. for the weekly provider webinar. Our team will provide updates and be available to answer your questions. If you have any questions about your registration, please email Elizabeth Dressel.
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