Legislative session ends: bills pass with boosts for homeless youth services and affordable housing

The 2014 Legislative session has come to a close, and there are several things to celebrate!  Governor Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature passed additional appropriations for the Homeless Youth Act, GRH, and a historic investment in affordable housing for the state.

THANK YOU.  You spoke up, and it mattered!

YOU made the difference this session. With your calls, emails, visits with Legislators, letters to the editor, tweets, and conversations with others about housing--your voices, energy, and action sent the message that housing is the foundation for stability in many other areas of life. 

In times of measurable progress driven by community action, a limitless number of people deserve recognition.  Hearth Connection would like to specially thank Senator Jeff Hayden and Representative Melissa Hortman, chief authors of SF1013/HF1132 for their efforts to expand access to long-term homeless services.  We would also like to thank Governor Dayton for making housing a priority in his bonding proposal; state Senators and Representatives from both parties who championed programs and policies promoting access to housing and services; and the many people and organizations involved in Homes for All, whose strategy, creativity, and dedication helped create this path forward.

Check out more of the good things that happened this session in the articles below! 

Thank you to the many advocates, youth, and organizations who worked on these bills, testified, called, wrote letters, and conveyed the importance of homeless services to support stability and self-sufficiency for youth.  Thank you especially to bill authors Representative Laurie Halverson and Senator Scott Dibble for their work and support of youth services.

Two years ago, funding for the Homeless Youth Act was at $238,000 per biennium.  In the 2013 legislative session, advocates requested $8 million to adequately fund homeless youth services, and the Legislature approved $4.2 million for the FY14-15 biennium.  Homeless Youth Act grants are administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS); click here to see a list of programs and services recently funded through the Act.

Faced with a growing homeless and rental affordability crisis, the Minnesota Legislature and Governor Dayton passed a bonding bill with a historic investment in housing:

$80 million for affordable+supportive housing

$20 million for public housing

$6 million for Dorothy Day Revision

In earlier versions of the bonding bill, the House included $100 million for housing; the Senate version included $80m, and the Governor's proposal included $50m.  Emerging from committee last Wednesday, the final bill retained the full $100 million for housing.  The bonding package containing the funds for housing was passed in two parts: an $846 bonding bill and a $200 million "cash" bill, both passed by the House and Senate last Friday in the final days before adjournment.  Governor Dayton signed the bill May 20.

On the bonding bill: "Rep. Hausman and Senate Capital Investment Committee Chairman LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Plummer, said they were most proud of providing $100 for the state's largest investment in affordable housing.

"They said it would offer shelter for homeless people and help many communities with businesses that can't attract needed workers because of affordable housing shortages."  --read the Pioneer Press article  

Bonds will be issued through Minnesota Housing and likely leveraged with private or local funds to preserve and increase the stock of affordable, supportive, and public housing; bonding has already increased resources available in MHFA's 2014 Consolidated RFP.  The bonds will be used to create or rehabilitate an estimated five thousands units of housing across Minnesota.  This investment in housing is unprecedented, and it contributes to Minnesota's goal of ending homelessness by affecting two strategies of the new state plan: increasing investments in affordable housing and new supportive housing opportunities.

While over 10,000 Minnesotans on any given night don't have a safe place to call their own, our work is not done.  We will continue working with advocates to promote affordable housing and rental assistance so Minnesotans can access housing, along with the supportive services necessary to maintain it.  The remarkable achievements this session reflect the growing momentum around housing solutions and the opportunities we have moving forward to reach our goal of ending homelessness in Minnesota. Next year the focus will be on service funding, an essential part of supportive housing that enables participant success in maintaining stability, improving functioning, and reaching goals.

Bill Watch

The following programs received appropriations that were added to base funding:

Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Youth

FY2014-15: $500,000

FY2016-17: $1 million

Join with advocates and friends to celebrate accomplishments at an end of session get-together June 2.  Hosted by the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless and Homes for All partners and sponsored by the Family Housing Fund and Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, it'll be a great time to meet with peers for drinks, snacks, and festivities celebrating the immense work done this session to advance affordable and supportive housing across MN!