Grassroots advocates working to end homelessness have much to take credit for and celebrate now that the 2008 Legislative Session is past!
- Bonding Bill – Together, we helped pass $30 million in bonding for permanent supportive housing and a more flexible $1 million for shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive, or any combination of the three.
- Car Towing Bill – In a collaborative effort with the Legal Services Advocacy Project and the Office for Social Justice, we helped ensure that a person who lives in their car doesn’t lose all their possessions if the car is towed.
- Renters’ Credit – Joining the effort spearheaded by the Minnesota Budget Project, we successfully fought off a proposal to cut the renters’ credit by an average of over $100 per low income household.
- Long-term Homeless Services Homeless advocates joined forces to secure an additional $505,000 for long-term homeless service funding. This appropriation partially funds a $1 million gap created in the program from last year’s Legislative Session.
Spotlight on Legislation to Support Youth
The Minnesota Legislature passed “Ready to Launch” court review language (SF 3166/HF3564) which will help prepare youth who exit from state care at the age of 18 for independence. This legislation requires a court review of Independent Living Plans at the required annual hearing after age 15 for youth in care. This includes identifying a permanent caring adult connection.
The other pieces of the “Ready to Launch” campaign, including providing automatic enrollment in Medical Assistance and continuous coverage for youth who age out of care (SF 3146/HF3389) and allowing youth between the ages of 18 and 21 the option of to come back for support/services if needed (SF 3145/3388) did not pass. Also, there was no additional money appropriated for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act.
The Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless will continue to advocate for these efforts in 2009 through the Minnesota Youth Advancement Act. Once again in 2008, an organizing committee made up of homeless youth service providers and community members were instrumental in raising awareness about youth homelessness and obstacles faced by youth aging out of foster care. This group will reconvene in the fall of 2008 to start preparing for the 2009 legislative session by raising community awareness through events, inviting legislators to attend tours of community programs and more generally alerting policy makers to youth homelessness.