The Minnesota Business Plan To End LongTerm Homelessness

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The Minnesota Business Plan ToEnd Long-Term
Homelessness CURA Forum December 9, 2005
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Presentation Outline

• Homelessness in Minnesota
• Homeless
• Long-Term Homeless
• Ending Long-Term Homelessness Business and
  Financing Plan
• Implementing the Plan
• Current Status Report Card and Issues

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Homeless in Minnesota

• A homeless person is one who
• Lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
  residence or
• Lives in a supervised, temporary living
  accommodation (shelters/transitional housing) or
• Has a nighttime residence in a place not meant
  for human habitation (e.g. under bridge or in
  car).

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Homeless in Minnesota (contd)

• Over 20,000 homeless and precariously housed on
  any given night
• 8,800 to 8,900 homeless (either in shelter or
  on the street)
• 7,811 counted on October 23, 2003, including
• 2,862 children with their parents
• 175 unaccompanied youth (under 18)
• All data provided by Wilder Research Center.

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Long-Term Homeless

• In Minnesota, a person or family is considered
  long-term homeless if the person or family
• Has been homeless for one year or more, or
• Has had four or more episodes of homelessness in
  the past three years.

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Long-Term Homeless (contd)

• Description of Population
• 52 have mental illness
• 33 have chemical dependency problem
• 24 have dual diagnosis (MI and CD)
• 16 are veterans
• 24 have history of being victimized by domestic
  violence
• 25 have criminal history that affected their
  housing
• A Supportive Housing Strategy
• Housing with supports
• Multiple models
• Based on best practices

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Business Plan Background

• March 2003 Workgroup established by
  legislature at request of the Governor
• Workgroup includes public, private and
  non-profit sectors
• Business Plan to End Long-Term Homelessness
  completed in March 2004

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Business Plan The Basics

• Strategy Supportive Housing
• Single-site and scattered site
• Singles and families
• Variety of models, including Housing First
• Goal Create 4,000 additional supportive housing
  opportunities for households experiencing
  long-term homelessness
• Successful projects require
• Capital
• Operating Subsidy (Rental Assistance)
• Services

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Business and Financing Plan Summary
Financing Plan Estimate (2004 - 2010) for 4,000
Units (in millions)
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Primary Current Funding Sources

• MHFA
• Housing Trust Fund
  25 million
• Agency bond fund resources 50
  million
• Private Tax Credit Equity 60 million
• Department of Human Services
• Supportive Services Fund 10 million
• Mainstream Funding
• Federal
• McKinney-Vento 22 million (2004)
• Earmarks
• Local/Philanthropic

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Phase-In Schedule
Years of the next comprehensive statewide
survey on homelessness
Source Report and Business Plan of the Working
Group on Long-Term Homelessness, page 64.
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Implementing the Business Plan

• Continued collaboration and silo busting
• Accountability and Transparency
• A Director for Ending Long-Term Homelessness
  leads plan implementation
• Reports to 3 state agencies
• Rigorous, specific work plan and goals, and
  weekly high level meetings
• Broad based Advisory Council established
• Persistence

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Ending Long-Term Homelessness Advisory Council

• Roles
• Provide advice
• Advocate for implementation of Business Plan
• Hold leaders accountable
• Membership
• Counties Hennepin, Ramsey, St. Louis, Blue
  Earth, Dakota
• Cities Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, League of
  Cities
• State DHS, DOC, MHFA, DVA
• Housing Agencies St. Cloud, St. Paul,
  Minneapolis
• Federal Government HUD
• Developers
• Business Community (Business Partnership,
  Downtown Council)
• Nonprofit Community (Housing Managers and
  Service Providers
• Funders
• Faith Community

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Advisory Council Committees
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Report Card

• 2004
• Goal 200 units funded
• 12/31/04 274 units funded
• 2005
• Goal 600 units funded
• 10/31/04 669 units funded

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2005 Legislation (Budget)

• Bonding 12 million (20 million in Governors
  budget)
• Housing Trust Fund 4 million (Governors
  budget)
• Supportive Services Fund 10 million (Governors
  budget)
• Adolescent Transition 2.2 million (Governors
  budget)
• Homeless Outreach 400,000 (Initiated by MN
  Coalition for the Homeless)
• Housing for Offenders 2.7 million (Governors
  budget)

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Status/Current Issues

• Costs of Construction
• RFP for Service Funding
• Monitoring of Projects (new and ongoing)
  addressing issues
• Federal role
• Prevention

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Ending Long-Term Homelessness

• Questions and Follow-Up
• Laura Kadwell
• Minnesota Director for Ending Long-Term
  Homelessness
• Email laura.kadwell_at_state.mn.us
• For more information go to www.mhfa.state.mn.us
• The Business Plan can be found at
• http//www.mhfa.state.mn.us/about/homeless_busines
  s_plan.pdf