Join us for the next MICH webinar on Wednesday, May 6 from 1 - 2 p.m. If you have any questions about your webinar registration, please email dan.gregory@state.mn.us

On the May 6 webinar, hear what supportive housing is, what it takes to create and sustain it, and why it’s so essential in ending homelessness.

Though MICH webinars are not the ideal place to address individual circumstances, MICH is committed to following up if people do raise specific questions or concerns.

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 6 at 1 p.m. There is a monthly prep session held the Tuesday before the webinar. The prep session will be Tuesday, May 5 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. 

Not able to make that time work, but still want to share on the Speakers Bureau? Please email dan.gregory@state.mn.us or call/text Dan at 651-983-9985 to schedule a conversation or with any questions.

The Olmstead Implementation Office (OIO) is hosting a public comment period for the draft Olmstead Plan. The online survey to share input is now open! OIO has also created high-level guides of each topic area and its goals. These goal guides and the full plan draft can be found on the OIO website.

The Olmstead Plan is a set of goals for Minnesota state agencies. The goals help fulfill the right of people with disabilities to live full, integrated lives in their communities. State staff and consultants with lived experience of disability (Inclusion Consultants) worked together to write the draft plan and its goals.

Currently the survey is available in English and will be open for 30 days. The English survey will close on May 8. OIO will also have the survey available in Spanish, Hmong, Somali, and ASL (ASL videos with captions and voice over). The surveys in these languages will launch the week of April 20 and will be open for 30 days.

Feedback received during public comment will be shared with agency staff and Inclusion Consultants. They will work on updating the goals based on the feedback received. The Olmstead Plan will be finalized in Fall 2026.

Children and youth who experience homelessness have the right to receive a free, appropriate public education, ensured by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001. This law ensures that housing instability is never a barrier to school enrollment, attendance, or success.

The Minnesota Department of Education has created a fact sheetabout student homelessness in Minnesota, including which students are most affected and how schools, districts, and community partners can remove barriers and better support eligible students.

Click here to learn more about the McKinney-Vento Act and Minnesota’s commitment to support students facing homelessness.

Congratulations to Winona resident Linda Lee Soderstrom on receiving the 2026 Loraine Brown Resident Leader Award from the National Low Income Housing Coalition!

Alongside fellow honoree Kennetha Patterson, Linda was recognized as a person living in subsidized housing who has shown dedication to helping tenants, people experiencing homelessness, and their community.

Linda shared more about the award and her efforts as a housing organizer in this recent Winona Post submission.

Congratulations on this recognition and thank you for your work to prevent and end homelessness, Linda!

Spoiler: you probably already know 😉

Check out our recent post on Facebook, Instagram, and/or LinkedIn to see if you were right!