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On Friday, the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness adopted the definition of housing, racial, and health justice for people experiencing homelessness developed over the past several months through the process led by Rainbow Research and their team of hired consultants with lived experience of homelessness. This definition will serve as the basis for driving the Council’s work on preventing and ending homelessness, and we hope can help guide efforts across the state.
We will dedicate next week’s webinar (June 22, 2022) to reviewing the definition and next steps that follow from them. Rainbow Research and their consultants will summarize Phase 1 and kick off the work of Phase 2 focused on strategies to advance justice.
This Friday, you are invited to join the final Justice Work Group meeting (Friday, June 17 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) to identify areas of focus most essential in building strategies to advance justice.
The Department of Human Services' (DHS) Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) continues to have funding available to support rapid responses to outbreaks in overnight or day shelters, drop-in centers, and street outreach programs for people experiencing homelessness or domestic violence. Funding for hazard pay is limited to settings with active outbreaks; however, expenses under all other categories do not require an active outbreak to be eligible. Learn more about eligible uses and how eligible settings can apply at https://mich.mn.gov/shelter-outbreak-funds. Please contact Demetri Vincze at Demetri.Vincze@state.mn.us with any questions.
As a follow-up to the webinar discussion on access to medication for people who are sick with COVID-19, settings can use these response funds to support access to those medications with transportation assistance (e.g., to medical appointments) and/or providing infrastructure needed for telehealth visits (e.g., technology needed to join visits). Such requests should be submitted under the “Other” category on the survey request form.
If your entity has received COVID-19 Shelter Outbreak Response Funds, you will be contacted directly in late June/early July to complete a required program report. The report does not require reporting of any detailed metrics. It instead will focus on self-reported outcomes, such as whether hazard pay helped settings retain staff. The OEO staff will join the webinar tomorrow to discuss these funds and preview the report during tomorrow’s webinar from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
If you have any questions about your registration, please email Elizabeth Dressel.
Cases among people experiencing homelessness and the staff who support them continue to remain steady. The MDH team continues to monitor cases and our team continues to plan alongside local public health and emergency management on ways to be best prepared to support people experiencing homelessness through any future surges. If you are looking for any information or resources you can find information at https://mich.mn.gov/covid-19 or email Health.R-Congregate@state.mn.us.
The Minnesota Department of Health’s STD, HIV and TB Section is using this RFP process to fund HIV Prevention and Harm Reduction Programs (Syringe Service Programs- SSPs), HIV Prevention for High Risk Negatives (Pre Exposure Prophylaxis Programs-PrEP) and HIV Testing for High Risk Individuals (Early Intervention Services-EIS). The goal of these programs is to reduce new HIV infections in Minnesota. Successful proposals will be funded for three years, with the possibility of extending two additional years, beginning January 2023. For more information, please refer to STD and HIV Request for Proposals (RFP)
Minnesota Housing’s Capacity Building Program will fund activities that build the capacity of organizations and communities to address root causes of housing challenges and create thriving and inclusive communities. Communities Most Impacted by housing challenges and disparities are experts and key partners in developing solutions to these challenges. Minnesota Housing trusts organizations and communities to use their knowledge and creativity to develop strategies that work for them.
Minnesota Housing may award grant funds up to $1,450,000. Over the course of a two-year grant period, selected grantees will utilize Capacity Building Program grant funds for one of the following two uses.
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Organizational Capacity Building: Estimated Available Funds: $950,000 (subject to applications received). Grantee will use the funds to build its own capacity to address root causes of housing challenges and housing disparities, build power in Communities Most Impacted by housing challenges and disparities, pilot innovative solutions to housing challenges, and support inclusive and equitable communities.
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Intermediary Capacity Building: Estimated Available Funds: $500,000 (subject to applications received). Grantee will use the funds to build the capacity of others through pass-through grants and/or technical assistance (see definition of both terms below) in the Grantee’s area of experience and expertise. The purpose of intermediary capacity building is to develop and strengthen the capacity of communities, stakeholders, and organizations operating in the areas of housing planning, community and program development, and community engagement.
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The Frontline Worker Pay application is open from June 8 through July 22, 2022. Applicant support is available to assist applicants in multiple languages. Visit https://frontlinepay.mn.gov/ to apply and view all available information on the program including an application overview document, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), an application fact sheet, and an outreach toolkit. The Frontline Worker Pay law requires that employers in a frontline sector provide notice by June 23, 2022, advising all current workers who may be eligible for Frontline Worker Pay of the assistance potentially available to them and how to apply for benefits. An employer notice that meets this obligation is available now in English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish.
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The application for HomeHelpMN has been extended until 5:00 p.m. on August 17 to allow more time for homeowners to apply for assistance. HomeHelpMN provides $109 million in federal assistance for homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage or other homeownership-related expenses due to factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information about the program, including who is eligible to apply and what expenses are eligible, visit HomeHelpMN.org or call 1-800-388-3226. The Call Center is open Monday – Saturday from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
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On June 8, Minnesota Housing held a sharing and learning session on Housing Support: How it Works in Operation. In case you missed it, you can find the recording and materials on Minnesota Housing’s Supportive Housing page. When you access the webpage, scroll down to the Department of Human Resources section to find the session recording and materials.
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