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As the Legislature considers the Walz-Flanagan Budget to Move Minnesota Forward, which proposes over $1 billion of investments for housing stability over the next three years, we are preparing for how these game-changing investments can be deployed to make the biggest impact on homelessness in Minnesota. Step one in that process is to hear from our stakeholders – YOU! – about the best ways these funds can go to work in your communities and with your partners.
Over the next seven weeks, we will be using our weekly webinar (every Wednesday, 1:00 – 2:00 pm) to solicit your guidance and advice about these budget proposals. Your feedback will provide critical insight that helps shape the processes for these funds to be requested, for allocations to be determined, and for expectations to be set related to the use of these resources.
Because the budget contains 36 proposals from six different State agencies, we’ve organized these conversations by topic area. Below is the proposed schedule for topics for each week. Please note that this schedule is subject to change, pending other demands including any pandemic-related issues.
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Date
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Topic
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April 6
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Shelter, outreach, and crisis response
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April 13
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Transitional housing and transitional supportive housing
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April 20
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Health and behavioral health interventions
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April 27
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Homelessness prevention and economic assistance
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May 4
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Affordable and supportive housing
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May 11
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Ending Veteran homelessness
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May 18
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Summary of feedback
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Join the weekly webinar tomorrow from 1:00 -2:00 p.m. to hear more about this plan and ask any questions you may have. We would also greatly appreciate your help spreading the word about these discussions over the next two months, to make sure that we collect the best guidance and recommendations about these funds ahead of final decisions being made at the Capitol.
If you have any questions about your registration, please email Elizabeth Dressel.
Rainbow Research is recruiting people with lived experience of homelessness to bring their expertise and knowledge to our team as temporary, paid consultants to guide us as we strive toward racial justice, housing justice, and health justice for people experiencing homelessness. Rainbow will be hiring eight consultants.
Help us spread the word about this opportunity! You can share the following information:
If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact Lateesha Coleman, lcoleman@rainbowresearch.org or call/text 612-685-8332.
The next webinar Speakers Bureau will be on Wednesday, April 6 at 1:00 p.m. There is still space to sign up to speak. Help us spread the word about this opportunity with the people you work with. Anyone who has lived experience of homelessness is welcome to sign-up to share through the Speakers Bureau. This will be open time each month for lived experience experts to share ideas and feedback with the webinar audience. All the details can be found on this flyer.
There is a monthly prep session held the Tuesday before the webinar. The April prep session will be Tuesday, April 5 from 3:00-3:30 p.m. Follow this link to join the prep session.
Please email elizabeth.dressel@state.mn.us or call Elizabeth at 651-248-5548 with any questions or to sign up to join the Speakers Bureau. This will be an ongoing opportunity each month. Anyone is welcome to sign up for future months as well.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), through its Housing and Supports Division, is seeking proposals to develop community living infrastructure and provide direct assistance to individuals to access and maintain housing in community settings throughout Minnesota. Since the first awards were given in 2018, the Community Living Infrastructure program has been transformative for the grantees receiving funds throughout the state. With the new funding and expansion of eligible grant activities, eligible Responders will be able to significantly expand their housing work. Visit DHS’ grants page to find more detailed application information that includes the eligible activities and entities. Proposals are due by 4:00 p.m. Central Time on April 15, 2022.
- We have updated Heading Home Alliance funding page to summarize the resources available to help programs and settings supporting people experiencing homelessness respond to COVID-19. Those resources include Shelter Outbreak Funds, the Minnesota Shelter Emergency Staffing Pool, and Vaccine Incentive funding. Find more detail on each of these resources on the Heading Home Alliance funding page.
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Applications are being accepted for open vacancies on the Task Force on Shelter through the Secretary of State’s open appointments site. Apply online for a representative from an organization that advocates on behalf of persons with disabilities seat and representative of Freedom from the Streets. You can find out more about the Task Force’s work to date here.
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