Building new pathways to housing, racial, and health justice for people facing homelessness

The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness (MICH) is a cabinet-level body comprised of the commissioners of 14 state agencies and the chair of the Metropolitan Council. Each agency has a different but interconnected role to play in preventing and ending homelessness. We know that working together strengthens our efforts and serves Minnesotans better.

MICH serves three primary purposes: 

  • Coordinate across agencies and with community partners to build pathways to housing, racial, and health justice for people facing homelessness 

  • Provide expertise to partners through technical assistance, public testimony, and raising awareness around the solutions to homelessness 

  • Create the interagency Housing Stability Budget package for the Governor

Through Minnesota's Crossroads to Justice strategic plan, we are driving results to prevent and end homelessness

Learn more about Crossroads to Justice

Action: Enhancing community reviewers with DEED

 

Crossroads to Justice is being co-led by paid Implementation Consultants, people from across the state who have lived experience of homelessness. Four of the consultants have worked with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's (DEED's) Office of Public Engagement to increase the voice of those with lived experience with homelessness when it comes to awarding grants. One of the items being explored is building a taskforce/advisory board made up of subject matter experts, community members, DEED staff, and other committees and councils to meet on a regular basis. This group is intended to: 

  • Identify and advise on service gaps 

  • Create a standardized community review process for DEED programs 

  • Recommend training for grant reviewers to ensure equity and consistency

Action: Strengthening supportive housing through Tribal partnerships 

Minnesota Housing has been working in close partnership with Tribal Nations to strengthen supportive housing by improving service funding and expanding rental assistance options that work in rural, culturally distinct communities. Through the Crossroads to Justice strategic plan, Minnesota Housing staff have collaborated with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Tribal housing directors, and lived-experience consultants to better understand how current funding models fall short. Tribes shared challenges such as unfunded case management positions, staffing shortages, long waitlists, unbillable housing support services, and the burden of a 30% income contribution for residents with extremely low or fixed incomes.  

In response, Minnesota Housing has expanded access to Housing Trust Fund rental assistance for Tribal-specific and culturally specific uses and has partnered with Tribes to design approaches that reflect local realities.

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