Thank you for the incredible feedback and ideas you provided during our discussion last week on health and behavioral health interventions. If you missed the discussion or want to go back, you can review the Menti responses or recording.
We are excited to continue the conversation to solicit your guidance and advice about the investments included in the Governor’s budget proposal being considered at the Legislature. 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. Tomorrow’s conversation will focus on homelessness prevention and economic assistance. Ahead of the discussion tomorrow, please consider the following questions:
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What are the barriers with accessing existing homelessness prevention and economic public assistance programs and services?
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How can we best help connect people facing housing crises to needed public assistance benefits and services?
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How can homelessness prevention and economic assistance programs address inequities in who is served?
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What homelessness prevention or economic assistance programs are most helpful for people facing housing crises, and what makes them successful?
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How can we improve the customer service experience for people facing housing crises who access these programs?
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What other roles could homeless prevention or economic assistance programs play to assist people facing housing crises?
Join the discussion tomorrow from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. to share your ideas and insights! If you have any questions about your registration, please email Elizabeth Dressel.
We 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. Check out the conversation schedule here.
As we shared previously, the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness is developing a justice-oriented statewide plan to prevent and end homelessness and has contracted with Rainbow Research to support the first phase of the work. Rainbow Research is launching Justice Work Groups that will create a unified, operational definition of housing, racial, and health justice for people experiencing homelessness. This definition will drive the development of strategies and specific actions that will shape the statewide plan.
The Justice Work Groups begin this Friday, April 29 and will meet five times over the next two months. We invite you to join participants from across Minnesota, including leaders with lived experience of homelessness, to co-create this operational definition. All are welcome to join! You can add the meeting information to your calendar using the links in the table or visit the Heading Home Alliance page for all the information on the work groups and community conversations.
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Friday, April 29, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
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Friday, May 6, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
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Friday, May 20, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
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Friday, June 3, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
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Friday, June 17, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
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In addition to the Justice Work Groups, there will be community conversations to allow people the opportunity to provide input and follow the progress of the work groups. The community conversations will be Friday, May 13 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Tuesday, May 24 from 6:30-8:30 pm, and Wednesday, June 22 on the weekly webinar.
The next webinar Speakers Bureau will be on Wednesday, May 4 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 March prep session will be Tuesday, May 3 from 3:30-4:00 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 number of COVID-19 cases among people experiencing have remained stable in the last week. The MDH team continues monitor the increasing cases counts in the general population.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) continues to have a supply of iHealth over-the-counter rapid antigen tests available immediately to congregate living facilities. Each box contains 90 test kits, and each test kit includes two tests, so ordering one box would yield 180 tests. Facilities can order tests by completing the order form below. Test kits expire in July 2022.
Note: If your facility plans to distribute the tests to residents or staff for personal use (i.e., residents/staff will administer the test on self and read their own test results), a CLIA waiver is not required. However, if your facility plans to administer the tests to residents or staff, the facility will be required to provide their CLIA number and agree to report results.
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Minnesota Housing along with its partners announced that the 2022 Consolidated Request for Proposals (RFP) is now open for applications. The annual Consolidated RFP process makes funding available to help build and preserve homes that are affordable in communities throughout Minnesota. Learn more about the specific guidance and contacts for technical assistance for single-family and multifamily applications in the RFP announcement.
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Minnesota Housing has issued a RFP inviting interested parties to submit proposals for the purpose of developing and executing a HOME-ARP Allocation Plan that will be submitted to HUD for approval. The HOME-ARP Allocation Plan will include the creation of a needs assessment, a gaps analysis, recommendations of HOME-ARP activities that Minnesota Housing would consider, and an implementation plan for carrying out those activities. Review the full RFP materials here. Proposal materials must be submitted via email to jessica.deegan@state.mn.us no later than 5:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
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The Office of Attorney General Keith Ellison is holding an informational expungement fair to learn how to start the free expungement process through the Attorney General’s Office. The free event is being held Saturday, April 30 from 12:00 – 2: 00 p.m. at New Salem Baptist Church, 2507 N Bryant Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55411.
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On April 7, the Governor signed Executive Order 22-07, launching a new interagency subcabinet and advisory council to combat the opioid epidemic. The Executive Order includes the establishment of a 15-member Governor’s Advisory Council on Opioids, Substance Use, and Addiction. If you are interested in applying for an open seat on the Advisory Council, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State's website. Applicants are encouraged to include supporting materials, such as a resume, cover letter, or other materials detailing their relevant experiences. Applications are due April 28.
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