The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) at the Department of Human Services (DHS) will be releasing three Requests for Proposals (RFPs) in February and March 2023. They include:
-
Combined RFP – This RFP includes the Emergency Services Program (ESP), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Homeless Youth Act (HYA), Transitional Housing Program (THP)
- Safe Harbor Shelter and Housing RFP (Open and proposals are due: March 30, 2023)
-
Shelter-Linked Mental Health RFP
There are numerous proposals currently working their way through the legislative process at the state Capitol this session that could result in substantial increases to OEO managed housing and homeless grant programs. Important Note: These RFPs are the avenues to apply for all the funding sources including base funding AND any increases to OEO grant programs approved in this legislative session. Help spread the word about the upcoming RFPs and the message that now is the time to apply!
The Safe Harbor Shelter and Housing Request for Proposals (RFP) administered by the Office of Economic Opportunity at DHS is now published. This request for proposals is to provide specialized outreach, emergency shelter, and supportive housing services to youth age 24 and younger experiencing sexual exploitation for the time period of July 1, 2023-June 30, 2025. The RFP can be found at the link below, on the DHS Grants and RFPs website. Proposals are due on Thursday, March 30, 2023. Find the full RFP at: Grants and RFPs / Minnesota Department of Human Services (mn.gov). Questions on this RFP can be sent to dina.chou@state.mn.us.
-
Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP): Minnesota Housing is pleased to announce the availability of up to $20.5M in funding to provide supportive services and direct financial assistance to help households who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness to retain their housing or obtain new housing. Funding availability is contingent upon legislative approval of program appropriations and may increase or decrease. Applications are due Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. For application materials and more information visit the FHPAP website. Questions can be directed to diane.elias@state.mn.us and nancy.urbanski@state.mn.us.
-
Homework Starts with Home (HSWH): Minnesota Housing is accepting applications for the HSWH program. This program supports collaborative efforts between schools, housing organizations and local governments to identify, engage and stabilize students and their families who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness. Minnesota Housing anticipates allocating up to $3.5M in HSWH funds using the Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) and Housing Trust Fund (HTF) program guidelines. Funding availability is contingent upon legislative approval of program appropriations and may increase or decrease. Applications are due Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. For application materials and more information, visit HWSH website. Questions can be directed to diane.elias@state.mn.us and nancy.urbanski@state.mn.us.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) received a waiver from the federal government to temporarily provide extra Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits known as Emergency SNAP, or E-SNAP. The temporary increase boosted households’ monthly benefit to the maximum allotment for their household size – or, if they were already getting the maximum amount, households received an additional $95 each month. Federal officials declared that the E-SNAP allotments will end after February 2023.
E-SNAP is issued the month after eligibility is approved, most households will get their last E-SNAP payment in March and benefits will return to the standard monthly benefit in April. To learn more and read answers to frequently asked questions visit: https://mn.gov/dhs/snap-changes/end-of-e-snap/. Help spread the message and help SNAP recipients prepare for the end of Emergency SNAP.
Minnesota’s Center of Excellence on Public Health and Homelessness is hosting a webinar on Thursday March 2 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. on harm reduction strategies and resources for homeless service providers. Opioids are the leading cause of death for people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota. Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) staff will share the latest information on the impact of the opioid epidemic for people experiencing homelessness. The webinar will also feature community partners who share information about resources and strategies for safer drug use, overdose reversals, treatment options, and low-barrier shelter and housing models. Register here to join the webinar.
So that all Minnesotans can live and thrive in a stable, safe home they can afford in a community of their choice, Minnesota Housing needs your input as it develops its 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. This plan will guide the Minnesota Housing’s work for the next four years. Minnesota Housing is a state agency and functions as a financial institution by financing housing through loans and grants and funding partners to support individuals and families with low to moderate incomes in achieving greater housing stability.
Share your input by completing the strategic planning survey by Tuesday, February 21. It should take 15-30 minutes of your time, depending on the extent of your input. If you need an accessibility accommodation, please email mn.housing@state.mn.us.
Click below on the link based on what language you want to take the survey in:
In addition to the survey, Minnesota Housing staff will join the webinar next Wednesday, February 22 to gather your ideas and feedback on their strategic plan.
We will be shifting the March monthly webinar up one week to Wednesday, February 22 from 1:00- 2:00 pm. This webinar will include the monthly Speakers Bureau, a discussion on Minnesota Housing’s Strategic Plan, updates on changes to COVID Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits known as Emergency SNAP, or E-SNAP. There will be no webinar on Wednesday, March 1. There will be a special webinar focused on Long COVID on Wednesday, March 15 from 1:00 –2:00 p.m.
This webinar schedule change will also shift the webinar Speakers Bureau up one week to February 22 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. There is a monthly prep session held the Tuesday before the webinar. The prep session will be Tuesday, February 21 from 1:00-1:30 p.m. Follow this link to join the prep session. This is an ongoing opportunity that happens each month. Sign up is required. Please email elizabeth.dressel@state.mn.us or call/text Elizabeth at 651-248-5548 to sign up to speak or with any questions.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has a new flyer for shelters encouraging residents to seek treatment right away if they start to show symptoms of COVID. The flyer is available for download and printing on here on MDH website. We encourage shelter providers to display this information where it will be visible to both long-term shelter residents and those who are just dropping in for services.
The Highly Impacted Settings Team has also updated our webpage through MDH. The site is now a one-stop-shop for resources specific to congregate settings, including operational guidance, information on testing and case reporting, therapeutic and vaccine resources, access to funding sources, and links to outside partners. That updated site is found here.
Cases among people experiencing homelessness and the staff who support continues to remain steady this week. 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.
-
Last month, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor rolled out their One Minnesota Budget. Their interagency budget for housing stability represents the biggest investment in housing and homelessness in state history. At over $1.6 billion, this package addresses the continuum of housing needs from preventing and ending homelessness, to creating a healthy rental market for low-income renters, to closing the disparities in homeownership. This package includes proposals from nine state agencies and is focused on increasing the amount and affordability of housing, as well as making sure housing is accessible to everyone. It is focused on preventing homelessness whenever possible and providing the kinds of services and supports people need to find and keep their housing. Learn more about the proposals in the Housing Stability Summary.
-
Help us spread the word about a new newsletter for engagement opportunities for people who have faced or are currently facing homelessness. The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness is building a new newsletter list to share opportunities for people who have faced or are currently facing homelessness to share their input, ideas, and expertise. Interested individuals can sign up for the newsletter by filling out this form. We will share a range of opportunities in this newsletter from state agencies and partner organizations and the newsletter will be sent out as opportunities are available. Please email elizabeth.dressel@state.mn.us if you have any questions.
|
