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Join us for a presentation from Kate Murray, MPH, Program Manager for Long COVID & Post-COVID Conditions at the Minnesota Department of Health on Wednesday, March 15 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm. Kate will go over what we know so far about long COVID, what we’re still learning, and the impacts of long COVID on communities, disability, the workforce, and more. There will also be an opportunity for questions. You can find more information about long COVID and resources at MDH: Long COVID: A Post-COVID Condition.
The webinars are open to anyone. If you have already registered for the monthly webinars, you will use the same link to join this special webinar. If you cannot attend the webinar, all materials and recordings are shared here: https://mich.mn.gov/webinars. If you have any questions about your webinar registration, please email elizabeth.dressel@state.mn.us.
As a reminder there is no monthly webinar tomorrow, March 1. Please join us for this special webinar on March 15!
The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) at the Department of Human Services (DHS) has two Requests for Proposals open for funding to support the work to prevent and end homelessness.
- The Homelessness Assistance Grants Request for Proposals (RFP) by the Office of Economic Opportunity at DHS is now published. This RFP includes the Emergency Services Program (ESP), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Homeless Youth Act (HYA), Transitional Housing Program (THP). Applicants can apply to provide Outreach, Drop-in Center/Day Shelter, Shelter, Scattered-Site Transitional Housing & Rapid Re-Housing, Site-Based Transitional Housing, and/or Permanent Supportive Housing services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the state of Minnesota. View the RFP document to see the broad range of activities these funds can support. Responders can request funding for more than one activity and/or program. The term of any resulting contract is anticipated to be for two (2) years, from July 1, 2023 until June 30, 2025. Proposals are due Thursday, April 13, 2023 by 4:00 p.m. Find the full RFP at: Grants and RFPs / Minnesota Department of Human Services (mn.gov). Questions on this RFP can be sent to Andrea.simonett@state.mn.us. You can join the Responders Conference for this RFP on Tuesday, March 14 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. The conference will include a review of the RFP and application forms and will serve as an opportunity to ask questions on this RFP. Join the RFP using the WebEx link on page 14 of the RFP document.
- The Safe Harbor Shelter and Housing 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 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 chou@state.mn.us. You can join the Responders Conference for this RFP on Thursday, March 2 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. The conference will include a review of the RFP and application forms and will serve as an opportunity to ask questions on this RFP. Join the RFP using the WebEx link on page 12 of the RFP document.
- Shelter-Linked Mental Health RFP – Coming soon
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. Share this flyer and help spread the word about the RFPs and the message that now is the time to apply!
Given that there could be increased funding levels through the legislative session, DHS is encouraging current and potential new providers to think about submitting funding requests that can:
- Sustain Programming
- Expand Program Capacity (e.g., increase number of available units, increase number of households served, etc…)
- Enhance Program Services (e.g., add housing navigator or mental health supports, increase staffing level, etc…)
- Enhance Staff Compensation/Support (e.g., increased training, increased wage/benefits for existing staff, increasing self-care opportunities, etc…)
- Develop New Programs
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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.
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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.
Minnesota Housing is currently looking for 12 consultants to join their efforts to development their next strategic plan, which guide the agency’s work for the next four years. Minnesota Housing has contracted with Rainbow Research to support them with their initiative to hire consultants. They are looking for a diversified team of consultants with low-to-moderate incomes and one of the following seven lived experiences:
- First-time homebuyer (which would include homebuyer education participants)
- Existing homeowner buying their next home
- Homeowner seeking or receiving a home-improvement or rehabilitation loan
- Resident of a manufactured-home community
- Renter who lives in subsidized housing with income and/or rent restrictions
- Renters who hold a rental housing voucher
- People who have experienced homelessness, including people who currently live in permanent supportive housing
Consultants can expect to work 6-14 hours a month between March – September 2023 and will be compensated at $50 per hour. Share this flyer to help spread the word! Anyone interested can apply at: https://tinyurl.com/Housing-Consultant-Application by March 5, 2023.
The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) is recruiting volunteers to review three Requests for Proposals (RFPs). The RFPS being reviewed will fund essential services for Minnesotans experiencing homelessness, human trafficking, and/or exploitation. OEO encourages prospective reviewers to consider the time commitment required, which is outlined below. If you are interested in being a reviewer, please complete the Proposal Reviewer Application by March 1, 2023. If you have any questions, please email ann.e.mccabe@state.mn.us
Reviewer can expect to:
- Be assigned to review proposals for one or more of the three RFPs based on your selection in the survey.
- Watch a PowerPoint presentation about reviewing proposals
- Read, review and score approximately five proposals (each take about 1-2 hours to review)
- Attend, participate and actively engage in a review session (2-3 hours in length
Reviewers must:
- Have access to computer, email, and ability to participate in a virtual review session
- Have ability to send completed scoresheets electronically. Scoresheets will be provided in either MS Word or MS Excel.
- CONFLICT OF INTEREST REQUIREMENT: Not be employed by or associated with any entity applying for funding.
Compensation:
OEO has limited funds available to compensate volunteer reviewers who disclose lived experience of homelessness, human trafficking and/or exploitation. Need for compensation can be indicated in the survey application. While we will strive to compensate those with lived experience, our ability to compensate is dependent on available funding.
Summer Impact Corps, a new program launched by ServeMinnesota and Ampact, is seeking partners to host AmeriCorps members this summer. Summer Impact Corps will match 450 AmeriCorps members with nonprofits, governments, and educational partners across the state of Minnesota. AmeriCorps members will serve full-time for twelve weeks at partner organizations in positions that address youth learning and enrichment, housing stability, or climate issues. Summer Impact Corps was inspired by the success of Emergency Response Initiative, a summer program launched in response to the COVID-19 crisis in the summers of 2020 and 2021.
Visit the Summer Impact Corps website to learn more about the program and submit an application to partner if it’s a fit for your organization’s work. Partner organizations do not pay a fee to host Summer Impact Corps AmeriCorps members. Partner applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis until April 14 at 5pm CST.
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 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.
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COVID Emergency SNAP (E-SNAP) to end after February 2023. 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. 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.
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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.
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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.
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