2008 Legislative Agenda
Create affordable housing options for all households.
Increase rental assistance for extremely low-income households; help communities develop workforce housing; & create incentives for local government to do its part.
The Housing Solutions Act, through a small surcharge on the deed tax, will dedicate significant ongoing support to meet Minnesota’s affordable housing needs.
Help households in crisis before they become homeless.
Provide emergency assistance to households facing a temporary crisis.
In 2003, the State Emergency Assistance program was eliminated, a program that had provided counties with funding to assist any eligible family or individual in crisis, in order to stabilize them in their housing & to prevent homelessness. In its place, counties were provided with block-grants & given the responsibility for meeting emergency needs on a county -to-county basis.
Provide immediate help to people who become homeless.
Provide ongoing support to community homeless services.
The 2007 Minnesota Legislature provided additional resources for:
- Partnerships between local police and street outreach workers
- Services targeted to homeless youth
- Emergency Shelter
- Transitional housing and permanent supportive housing services
- Rental Assistance
Most of the new funds were provided as one-time appropriations. The 2008 Minnesota Legislature should increase funding for partnerships between local police & street outreach workers as well as for homeless youth services. It should also turn one-time funds provided to community homeless services into permanent investments.
Provide flexible state bonds to help communities build or rehab needed infrastructure.
In keeping with the “Business Plan to End Long-Term Homelessness,” $30 million in state bonds should be made available for the purchase or rehab of permanent supportive housing. An additional $10 million in flexible state bonds, which could be used for emergency shelter, transitional housing, or additional permanent supportive housing, should be available to communities statewide.
Increase funding for regional homeless planning in Greater Minnesota.
Local communities are best able to assess & address the housing & service needs of their neighbors who are experiencing homelessness. Public funding should make it possible for communities to devise & carry out successful strategies to end homelessness.
Quickly connect people in the homelessness system to other community resources & appropriate services.
Housing stability, increased income, and greater capacity for self-determination are the goals of any successful homeless program. In order to successfully transition households beyond “the homelessness system,” the housing and job market must work for extremely low -income households and community safety-nets must be strong.
MCH supports the following legislative initiatives:
Access to personal belongings in a towed vehicle
Under current law, people who get their cars towed (even if they just break down) do not have the right to get their personal belongings out of the car. If people can’t afford the costly towing and storage charges, they risk losing important medicines, identification, winter clothing, children’s homework, or other important legal documents that were in the car. In the case of a homeless family, it could mean the loss of everything that they own.A proposal being advanced by Legal Aid and the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless (and supported by the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul) would allow homeless families and others without means to retrieve their personal belongings if they provide documentation of their income eligibility. Non-income eligible vehicle owners would still be able to retrieve medicines, medical devices (like wheelchairs), personal identification, schoolwork, clothing, and legal documents.
Discharge Planning
MCH supports funding for pilot projects that would provide discharge planning from county jails for individuals who are mentally ill, chemically dependent; suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury, or who are at risk for homelessness upon discharge.
Foster Care Reform
MCH supports foster care reform as outlined in the “Ready to Launch” initiative:
Accountability for the Independent Living Plan through a court review prior to court dismissal of jurisdiction.
Establishment of automatic, ongoing enrollment in Medical Assistance for youth aging out of care, through age 21.
Providing allowance for youth to remain in care, or return to care, up to the age of 21.
Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
MCH supports legislation requiring that state-funded homeless services need only report basic HUD data fields in order to be eligible for state funding.
MCH supports conducting a legislative audit of Minnesota’s HMIS system.
MCH supports the legislative agendas of the following organizations:
Affirmative Options
| 2008 Legislative Agenda: Download the Coalition’s 2008 Legislative Agenda. |
