• May 7 MICH webinar focuses on why Medicaid matters in addressing homelessness 
• New dashboard tracks the impact on services to Minnesotans due to cancellations of federal funding 
• Cuts proposed by the state legislature would hinder ending Veteran homelessness
• DHS issues RFP for organizations to establish Safe Recovery Sites   
• New issue brief from Wilder Research: How do older adults experience homelessness? 
• Office of Addiction and Recovery monthly webinar series   
• Crossroads to Justice: Implementation Consultant Denise “Dee” Martineau on collaborating with the Metropolitan Council

Be sure to join the next monthly webinar on Wednesday, May 7 from 1 - 2 p.m. If you have any questions about your webinar registration, please email dan.gregory@state.mn.us   

On the May 7 webinar, hear how Medicaid is a key tool in addressing homelessness in Minnesota, and the impact federal cuts to the program would have on our communities. Learn about more of the ways “Medicaid Matters” at https://mn.gov/dhs/medicaid-matters/  

The beginning 10 minutes of each monthly webinar will be held to hear from the Speakers Bureau. Anyone who has lived experience of homelessness is welcome to sign-up to share through the Speakers Bureau. This is open time each month for lived experience experts to share ideas and feedback with the webinar audience.    

The next webinar Speakers Bureau will be on Wednesday, May 7 at 1 p.m. There is a monthly prep session held the Tuesday before the webinar. The prep session will be Tuesday, May 6 from 11-11:30 a.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.

Governor Tim Walz announced a new dashboard Minnesotans can use to track disruptions and cancellations of federal funding and their impact on services available to Minnesotans. Federal disruptions and cuts so far include grants to track measles and avian influenza, provide heating assistance, and mitigate flooding.   

“One in every three dollars Minnesota state government spends currently comes from the federal government,” said Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Erin Campbell. “Consistent, timely access to federal dollars is needed to continue providing the services Minnesotans depend on. That includes funding for Medicaid, food assistance, childcare assistance, and employment counseling and financial assistance to families in poverty, among many other programs and services. This new online resource provides transparency into federal funding disruptions impacting Minnesota.” 

As of April 17, Minnesota state agencies are tracking over $282 million in cancelled funds, with another $74 million at risk.  

The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notified the Minnesota Department of Human Services that several grants totaling up to $27.5 million had been abruptly terminated on March 24. The sudden termination of previously authorized funds will have immediate and wide-ranging impacts, including on homelessness. The lost funding impacts: 

• School-based mental health services for children  
• Access to the life-saving overdose reversal drug naloxone  
• Critical treatment and recovery supports for people experiencing behavioral health issues  
• Access to behavioral health care  
• Ability to address disparities in Minnesota’s mental health system 

A bill is moving forward in the Minnesota House (HF2444) that proposes cutting funding for homeless Veterans. The proposed $5 million cut would completely eliminate Minnesota’s Homeless Veterans Programs—gutting the very foundation of a system that has driven more than a 50% reduction in Veteran homelessness statewide and brought us to the brink of ending Veteran homelessness statewide (86 of 87 counties in Minnesota have effectively ended Veteran Homelessness). 

This state funding supports a proven network of housing, outreach and support services that reach the most vulnerable Veterans—those who are chronically homeless, ineligible for federal housing programs, or living with complex barriers. Programs like the Veterans Supportive Housing Options (VSHO) and the MNVEST voucher program serve hundreds of Veterans with housing and wraparound services. Others provide temporary shelter, financial assistance and landlord incentives to ensure housing access across the state. 

Last year alone, these programs helped over 566 Veterans access shelter and prevented many more from entering homelessness. Without these dollars, many Veterans currently in stable housing will return to the streets, and new inflow will surpass previous highs. We will lose the ground we've fought so hard to gain. 

Ending homelessness among Veterans statewide is within reach—this funding is what has made that progress possible. Eliminating it now would undo years of work and abandon Minnesota Veterans when they need us most.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Administration is seeking proposals from qualified responders to establish Safe Recovery Sites. Click here for more information on the RFP, including how to apply. 

In May 2023, the Minnesota Legislature approved funding for these sites, which aim to save lives through overdose and disease prevention. These new Safe Recovery Sites will be an extension of harm reduction work already occurring in Minnesota. Grantees will use these funds to establish sites that promote health, wellness, safety, and recovery to people who are in active stages of substance use disorder. 

The RFP will focus on implementing most of the services outlined in the Safe Recovery Sites legislation. That includes: 

• sterile needle exchange 
• opiate antagonist rescue kits 
• fentanyl and other drug testing 
• street outreach 
• educational and referral services 
• health, safety, and wellness services 
• access to hygiene and sanitation. 

This initial RFP for Safe Recovery Sites does not include safe injection spaces, which is consistent with a decision communicated by DHS shortly after the legislation passed in 2023. State leadership know that this potential service will require careful consideration and extensive engagement with community partners, people who use drugs and law enforcement. DHS will continue to conduct research into this potential service, while working with federal partners to determine how it could be implemented in Minnesota. 

If you have general questions about these new sites, please view this FAQ about Safe Recovery Sites. 

The term of any resulting contract is anticipated to be for four years, from July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2029. The state may extend the contract up to a total of five years. 

Proposals must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025. 

If you have questions about the Safe Recovery Sites community engagement process, please contact Odie Spinelli at odie.spinelli@state.mn.us.

The next Office of Addiction and Recovery (OAR) monthly webinar will be held on Wednesday April 30 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Click here to register. 

The April session will include the following topics: 

• Office of Addiction and Recovery update 
• Overview of the Communities that Care (CTC) model 
• Safe Recovery Site overview 

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

The implementation of this plan is being co-led and co-monitored by 14 paid Implementation Consultants, all people with lived experience of homelessness representing different experiences and different parts of the state. Their expertise and priorities are shaping the daily work of state agencies. 

Meet Denise “Dee” Martineau 

Dee Martineau is a multi racial first- and second-generation American. She is originally from Oakland, California and came to Minnesota on a road trip in the late 90’s. Her previous professional experience includes work as a physicist, high tech business owner, technology executive, artist, published author, and advocate. Dee joins with her colleagues to advocate for the needs of people who are unhoused, those with disabilities, and those seeking racial, housing, and health justice. 

Dee’s reflections on working with the Metropolitan Council 

Dee currently works with the Metropolitan Council, through the Metropolitan Council Housing and Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA), to assist in an equitable distribution of 1,000 recently released rental assistance vouchers. These vouchers are designated for individuals and families who live or work in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area. In addition, 10% of the vouchers are prioritized for Native American families. Dee appreciates the depth and breadth of Metro HRA services in both obtaining and planning resources as well as bringing those resources to the people who need them.