• Join the next MICH webinar on October 2 
• Voting resources for people experiencing homelessness – and the providers that support them 
• Submit your Intent to Apply for Bridges programs and Housing Trust Fund program rental assistance by September 30 
• COVID-19 and Flu Vaccination Events Available to Homeless Service Sites 
• Social media highlight: Implement systemic change and healing
• Crossroads to Justice: Addressing Homelessness as a Health Crisis 

The next webinar Speakers Bureau will be on Wednesday, October 2 at 1 p.m. There is a monthly prep session held the Tuesday before the webinar. The prep session will be Tuesday, October 1 from 3-3:30 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 dan.gregory@state.mn.us or call/text Dan at 651-983-9985 to sign up to speak or with any questions. 

Voter is staying outdoors:  

Please call the Secretary of State’s voter hotline – 1-800-600-8683 with any specific questions or concerns. Visit the Minnesota Office of Secretary of State Office website to find more information specific to people experiencing homelessness, locate your polling place, and view your sample ballot.

Additionally, the National Alliance to End Homelessness has compiled helpful resources to support these efforts – find these resources at https://endhomelessness.org/every-one-votes-you-have-a-stake-in-elections/.

Minnesota Housing is requesting that eligible entities seeking to apply for the Bridges programs and Housing Trust Fund program rental assistance submit an Intent to Apply (ITA) by September 30. Simply include your entity’s name and that you anticipate or are considering applying for funding – that's it! 

Submitting your ITA will help Minnesota Housing staff anticipate incoming applications and prepare to provide technical assistance. The ITA is not required to receive funding. 

Here’s more information: 

Bridges and Bridges Regional Treatment Center Program Rental Assistance 

Minnesota Housing will soon begin accepting Bridges and Bridges Regional Treatment Center (RTC) Program Rental Assistance Request for Proposals (RFP) applications for the next Program contract term. 

To submit your ITA for these programs, send an email to Ellie Miller, Bridges Program Manager, at ellie.miller@state.mn.us by September 30, 2024, and indicate your agency name and your interest in applying for the Bridges and Bridges RTC Program RFP.  

Housing Trust Fund Program Rental Assistance 

Minnesota Housing will soon begin accepting Housing Trust Fund (HTF) Program Rental Assistance Request for Proposals (RFP) applications for the next Program contract term. 

To submit your ITA for this program, send an email to Deran Cadotte, Program Manager, at deran.cadotte@state.mn.us by September 30, 2024, and indicate your agency name and your interest in applying for the HTF Program RFP.

The Minnesota Department of Health offers vaccine clinics through our contracted vaccine partners for staff and clients at homeless service sites. To request a vaccine clinic, visit COVID-19 Vaccination Event Request Form for Congregate Settings.

Organizations can request a one-time or ongoing clinic for the 2024-25 COVID-19 and flu vaccine. Organizations can also request harm reduction services such as overdose prevention and response training, distribution of opioid overdose reversal kits (i.e., naloxone), distribution of safer use supplies including syringe exchange (distribution of sterile syringes, collection of used syringes), and infectious disease testing and linkage to care. 

For more information on hosting a vaccine clinic and vaccine informational resources for homeless service providers, visit the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness's page: COVID-19 Vaccine Information | Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness (mn.gov). 

Earlier this week, the Implementation Consultants working with MICH presented an overview of how work on the Crossroads to Justice strategic plan is going at the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Conference.  

Introducing the presentation, consultant Boo McCaleb shared that as fully-engaged members of the implementation team, consultants seek to “Be the voice and representation of unhoused communities...to implement systemic change and healing” for people facing homelessness. Watch the full statement here! 

Crossroads to Justice is the strategic plan of the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness, bringing a housing, racial and health justice approach for people facing homelessness in Minnesota to guide the work of state government. 

The plan identifies five bold results that will drive significant movement towards housing, racial and health justice. The fifth result focuses on the intersection of health and housing justice: 

Homelessness is treated as a crucial health and public health crisis wherever it occurs.  

Strategy 1: Create a comprehensive, trauma-informed and culturally responsive continuum of care for people facing homelessness with behavioral health needs, which includes mental health and substance use.   

Strategy 2: Increase capacity, access and use of quality, culturally responsive health resources including physical health, mental health, substance use supports, sexual health and spiritual health.     

Strategy 3: Establish a structure and protocols to prevent, mitigate and respond to infectious disease outbreaks for people facing homelessness.   

In support of Strategy 3, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) distributed supplies to shelters and service providers. More than 1,800 items were sent to 145 facilities across the state to support their ability to prevent infectious disease and respond to outbreaks.