1. Community Living Supports Programs John Petroskas Minnesota Department of human services
January 28, 2015

2. Outline Adult Income Programs General Assistance (GA)
Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA)
MSA Housing Assistance
SOAR/SSI Advocacy programs
Group Residential Housing (GRH)
Long-Term Homeless Supportive Service Fund
Moving Home Minnesota

3. General Assistance
General Assistance (GA) is Minnesota’s primary safety net for single adults and childless couples.
Average monthly caseload of 23,216 persons received GA in 2013
Maximum Monthly Benefit: $203 ($260 for a couple)

4. Who is eligible for GA?
14 categories of eligibility
Must have permanent or temporary illness, injury, or incapacity which is expected to continue for more than 30 days and which prevents the person from obtaining or retaining employment.
Must have statement signed by a “qualified professional” (e.g., physician, nurse practitioner, social worker, etc.)

5. GA INCOME/ASSET LIMITS
No more than $203 in income (after subtracting certain disregards)
No more than $1,000 in assets
Recipient must apply for SSI/SSDI within 30 days if they appear to be eligible

6. Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA)
MSA provides a monthly cash supplement to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment Monthly benefit is $81 ($111 for a couple) Average monthly caseload of 30,000 people receiving MSA in 2013 (while over 75,000 Minnesotans aged receive SSI and are potentially eligible for MSA)

7. MSA Special Needs
Special Diets
Restaurant Meals
Guardian/Conservator Fees
Representative Payee Fees
Home Repairs
Household Furnishings & Appliances
Housing Assistance

8. MSA Housing Assistance Eligibility
Basis of eligibility:
Over age 18 (or under 18 and blind), and
Under age 65 (grandfathering allowed), and
Receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), OR
Countable income under $971 and age 65 or older, or blind, or certified disabled
Remember, this is an income supplement, so we need to establish your income to know how much to supplement
What is countable income?
What kind of deductions make my countable income lower?
How is a disability certified?

9. MSA Housing Assistance Eligibility
And…
Have monthly housing costs (rent and utilities) more than 40% of gross monthly income (not including MSA cash assistance).
Definition of institution
How do I verify my housing costs?

10. MSA Housing Assistance Eligibility
And either…
Be relocating from institution (hospital, RTC inpatient services, a nursing facility, or an ICF-DD) or an intensive residential mental health treatment program, OR
Be eligible for Personal Care Assistance (PCA) services, OR
Be receiving waivered services
Definition of institution is…
Talk about eligible for vs. receiving

11. MSA Housing Assistance Eligibility
And…
Apply for rental assistance, if applicable
Unless you own your own home or are ineligible (i.e., felony)
If waiting list is closed, sign DHS-6351 form saying you’ll apply if it opens
You don’t have to move
Do I have to apply for subsidized housing? What if the waiting list is closed? What if I don’t want to move?
Yes, if you receive a rental assistance voucher, you will only pay 30% of your income, which is better than 40%.
You don’t have to apply for rental assistance if you own your own home or are ineligible (i.e., felony).
If the waiting list is closed, the county has a form to sign saying you’ll apply if it opens.
You don’t have to move. We don’t require you to move into public housing, but instead that you would receive a voucher (like Section 8) that could be used in the setting you choose.

12. Typical MSA Housing Assistance Benefit
$733 SSI Federal Benefit Rate + 81 MSA Cash Assistance +189 MSA Housing Assistance $1,003 Total Income + Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

13. SOAR Initiative
SOAR = SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery
Goal: Increase access to SSI/SSDI for people who are homeless and have a mental illness (SOAR) or are using state benefit programs (SSI Advocacy). DHS contracts with agencies to provide SOAR & SSI Advocacy services, and trains those who work with people experiencing homelessness to prepare successful applications for SSI/SSDI.

14. Group Residential Housing (GRH)
Individual income supplement to purchase “room and board”
GRH can pay for services in some cases
Goal is to prevent or reduce institutional residence or homelessness
GRH is a unique income supplement in that it is not paid directly to the recipient

15. Facts about grh
GRH is entirely state-funded, but is administered by counties
Nearly 20,000 people/month receive GRH
The total cost of GRH in FY2013 was $130,000,000
Average GRH payment is approximately $545/month

16. Types of GRH HousinG
Adult Foster Care (4104) - Nearly half of people receiving GRH live in adult foster care
Board and Lodge (235)
Board and Lodge w/ Special Services (282)
Supervised Living Facility (56)
Non-Certified Boarding Care (16)
Housing w/ Services Establishment (520)
Housing w/ Services Est. - Homeless (372)
Metro Demo (15)
Address, primary designation, 5600 total

17. Eligibility for GRH
Eligibility for GRH Housing Rate
Meet a Basis of Eligibility for SSI (blind, over age 65, or disabled) or
Meet a Basis of Eligibility for GA

18. INCOME/asset Eligibility
Eligibility for GRH Housing Rate
Countable Income: Less than maximum benefit (the rate paid to the GRH setting)
Assets:
SSI Basis of Eligibility: $2,000
GA Basis of Eligibility: $1,000 (additional $2,000 with Earned Income Savings account)

19. GRH Housing Requirements
Must be Licensed or Registered
MN Department of Health, or
MN Department of Human Services, or
Tribal Government
Must have GRH Agreement with County

20. Rent, Utilities, Food, Household Supplies
GRH Housing Rate
$876, effective 7/1/14 ($28.80/day)
Rent, Utilities, Food, Household Supplies
Anything left: Other things necessary to provide room and board
NOT services, clothing, medical costs

21. GRH Supplemental Service Rate
$482.84, effective 7/1/13 (or higher if Legislature has authorized exception)
Supportive Services (required)
Assistance with transportation,
Arranging meetings and appointments,
Arranging medical and social services,
Medication reminders, and
Up to 24-hour supervision
Health Supervision (optional)
27% of GRH clients receive SSR

22. Program uniformity changes
Changes passed by 2014 legislature will affect all DHS cash assistance programs.
Effective June 1, 2016, a single asset limit of $10,000 will be used across programs.
Effective October 1, 2015, a single earned income disregard will be used – first $65 of earned income and 50% of any remaining income thereafter.

23. LTH Supportive Services Grants
Nearly $12,000,000 budget in FY2014
Funds services such as case management, utility bill assistance, transportation assistance, and crisis intervention.
Services are delivered by multi-county and tribal collaboratives, through local nonprofits and government entities.
Served about 1,500 households in FY % in the seven-county metro area, with the remaining 75% in greater Minnesota.

24. Moving home minnesota
Minnesota’s version of the federal Money Follows the Person initiative, which provides services and funding to help people leave health care facilities.
Federal demonstration project started in five years with possibility of extension
Multi-divisional project at DHS. Community Living Supports has the housing staff person.
MN Housing received HUD 811 project-based rental subsidies – half are targeted to MHM participants and half to long term homeless persons with severe mental illness

25. resources
Updated rules for all DHS cash assistance programs can be found in the MN DHS Combined Manual:
Other DHS programs, like health care and child care, have their own manuals:
All MN DHS forms are available on eDOCS:

26. Questions?
GA/MSA: Beth Grube SOAR: Barbara Williams GRH: John Petroskas LTH SSR: Pat Leary MHM: Karen Peed HUD 811: Heidi Sandberg

27. Homeless Program Funding
MN Department of Human Services
Office of Economic Opportunity

28. Learning Goals Which homeless grants are awarded through OEO.
How much funding is available for each grant.
What types of programs and populations are eligible for each grant.
How to apply for funding.

29. Presenter’s Goals To make this the TED Talk of Funder presentations…
To make this the Funder presentation that you will tell your grandkids about…
Okay, to not put anyone to sleep.

30. The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO)
Founded in 1965 as part of War on Poverty
Designed to address both consequences and causes of poverty.
Goals include improving the economic and social well-being of recipients.
The Office also includes SNAP Outreach and Education, Farmer’s Market SNAP Access, Food Programs/TEFP, Community Action (CSBG)

31. OEO Homeless Program Staff
Francie Mathes
Isaac Wengerd
Dina Chou
Tom Balsley
Andrea Simonett

32. Name That Bird
Bird B
Bird A

33. OEO Programs
Overall, OEO distributes approximately $19.2 million in homeless funding each biennium.
General Eligibility: Homeless

34. OEO Programs Grants Emergency Solutions Grant Balance of State
Federal
Shelter—$2.4 Million
Re-housing—$1.2 Million…can fluctuate annually.
Emergency Services Program (ESP)
State, $1.1 Million
State Transitional Housing Program (STHP)
State $6.3 Million
Homeless Youth Act (HYA)
State, $6.2 Million
Safe Harbor
State, $2 Million

35. Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
Federal
Provides funding:
Emergency Shelter ($2.4): To meet the operating and service costs associated with the provision of emergency shelter to homeless people
Application open to all areas of State
Re-Housing ($1.2): Short to medium-term rental subsidies and stabilization services for persons leaving the streets, emergency shelter or temporary living arrangements.
Balance of State (Non-Entitlement Areas*)
*Hennepin County, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, St. Louis County, Dakota County

36. Emergency Services Program
State, $1.1 Million
Funds the operating and service costs of overnight shelters, motel vouchers and day shelters for the homeless, as well as essential services to homeless children, families and individuals.

37. State Transitional Housing Program
State, $6.3 Million
Provides rental subsidies and supportive services to homeless individuals and families to attain and maintain stable housing.
Participants are required to pay at least 25% of their household income for rent, and program stay is limited to 24 months.
New requirement for State THP grantees: 3 month evaluations.
Length and depth of rental subsidies should allow individuals and families to obtain or increase employment, earned income and/or necessary education and training for greater sufficiency.
Eligible Models: Scattered-Site, Site-Based, Master Leasing, Tenant- Based Leasing

38. Homeless Youth Act State, $6.2 Million
Provides funding to non-profits and Tribal Governments to provide
Street outreach
Drop-in center programs
Emergency shelter
Youth supportive housing
This includes prevention, transitional living program, and permanent supportive housing)

39. Safe Harbor State, $2 Million
Provides funding for a new set of programming specific to sex trafficked minors through specialized emergency shelter, transitional living, youth supportive housing programs and specialized foster care.

40. How to apply for OEO funds
Consolidated, competitive RFP every two years.
Next RFP will be released in late February 2015.
Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, local units of government and tribal governments.
Application is structured to allow agencies to apply for funding for specific homeless activities, such as emergency shelter or transitional housing.
Format changing for 2015
Criteria: Program Capacity, Design, Revenue and Budget
Also consider Geographic Location, Previous Performance

41. Contact Info: Tom Balsley

42. Minnesota Housing Heading Home Hennepin January 28, 2015
Brown Bag Lunch Series
Minnesota Housing
January 28, 2015

43. Our Mission:
Minnesota Housing finances affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households while fostering strong communities.
Please keep this slide on all presentations.
Introduce Minnesota Housing by explaining what we do: Minnesota Housing provides access to safe, decent and affordable housing and builds stronger communities across the state. It has a national reputation as one of the finest housing finance agencies in the country and has built an enduring alliance among partners in the for-profit, non-profit and government sectors to achieve its mission.
Minnesota Housing offers products and services to help Minnesotans buy and fix up their homes and to stabilize neighborhoods, communities and families. It also supports the development and preservation of affordable rental housing through both financing and long term asset manage­ment. It has pioneered a successful model for supportive housing that helps stabilize the lives of some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

44. Minnesota Housing Overview
Single Family
Multifamily:
Production: Underwriters, Architects, Closers
Asset Management: PBCA, TC, Compliance
Supportive Housing: Grants, Community, Capital
Operations: Business Support, Data Management, Training

45. Supportive Housing Grant Programs
Bridges and Rental Assistance
Housing Trust Fund, State Appropriations, agency funds
Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP)
State Appropriations,
Operating Subsidy
State Appropriations, agency funds

46. Supportive Housing Community Collaboration
Continuum of Care
Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness (MICH) and partnerships with state agencies
Note: The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness and the Olmstead Implementation Office are NOT a function under Minnesota Housing.

47. Supportive Housing Capital
Permanent Supportive Housing
Tend to be focused populations
100% supportive housing
Housing Infrastructure Bonds (HIB) and other State Appropriations
Supportive Housing Officers
Long Term Homeless units
Tend to be within larger development (i.e. 4 units)
Housing Tax Credits and other State Appropriations
Note: Minnesota Housing does not provide NEW rental assistance, operating subsidy, or service funding.

48. For More Information Contact: Joel Salzer joel.salzer@state.mn.us