1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; creating a pilot program for providers serving homeless 
1.3 	youth in Minnesota; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. PILOT PROGRAM FOR CHOSEN FAMILY HOSTING TO PREVENT 
1.6 	YOUTH HOMELESSNESS.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The commissioner of human services must establish a 
1.8 	pilot program for providers seeking to establish or expand services for homeless youth that 
1.9 	formalize situations where a caring adult who a youth considers chosen family allows a 
1.10 	youth to stay at the adult's  residence to avoid being homeless.
1.11 		Subd. 2.Definitions. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the 
1.12 	meanings given them.
1.13 	(b) "Chosen family" means any individual, related by blood or affinity, whose close 
1.14 	association fulfills the need of a familial relationship.
1.15 	(c) "Set of participants" means a youth aged 18 to 24 and (1) an adult host who is the 
1.16 	youth's chosen family and with whom the youth is living in an intergenerational hosting 
1.17 	arrangement to avoid being homeless, or (2) a relative with whom the youth is living to 
1.18 	avoid being homeless.
1.19 		Subd. 3.Administration. (a) The commissioner of human services, as authorized by 
1.20 	Minnesota Statutes, section 256.01, subdivision 2, paragraph (a), clause (6), shall contract 
1.21 	with a technical assistance provider to:
1.22 	(1) provide technical assistance to funding recipients;
2.1 	(2) facilitate a monthly learning cohort for funding recipients;
2.2 	(3) evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the pilot program; and
2.3 	(4) submit annual updates and a final report to the commissioner.
2.4 	(b) When developing the criteria for awarding funds, the commissioner must include a 
2.5 	requirement that all funding recipients:
2.6 	(1) partner with sets of participants, with a case manager caseload consistent with existing 
2.7 	norms for homeless youth;
2.8 	(2) mediate agreements within each set of participants about shared expectations regarding 
2.9 	the living arrangement;
2.10 	(3) provide monthly stipends to sets of participants to offset the costs created by the 
2.11 	living arrangement;
2.12 	(4) connect sets of participants to community resources;
2.13 	(5) if the adult host is a renter, help facilitate ongoing communication between the 
2.14 	property owner and adult host;
2.15 	(6) offer strategies to address barriers faced by adult hosts who are renters;
2.16 	(7) assist the youth in identifying and strengthening their circle of support, giving focused 
2.17 	attention to adults who can serve as permanent connections and provide ongoing support 
2.18 	throughout the youth's life; and
2.19 	(8) actively participate in monthly cohort meetings.
2.20 		Subd. 4.Technical assistance provider. The commissioner must select a technical 
2.21 	assistance provider to provide assistance to funding recipients. In order to be selected, the 
2.22 	technical assistance provider must:
2.23 	(1) have in-depth experience with research on and evaluation of youth homelessness 
2.24 	from a holistic perspective that addresses the four core outcomes developed by the United 
2.25 	States Interagency Council on Homelessness to prevent and end youth homelessness;
2.26 	(2) offer education and have previous experience providing technical assistance on 
2.27 	supporting chosen family hosting arrangements to organizations that serve homeless youth;
2.28 	(3) have expertise on how to address barriers faced by chosen family hosts who are 
2.29 	renters; and
2.30 	(4) be located in Minnesota.
3.1 		Subd. 5.Eligible applicants. To be eligible for funding under this section, an applicant 
3.2 	must be a provider serving homeless youth in Minnesota. The money must be awarded to 
3.3 	funding recipients beginning no later than March 31, 2023.
3.4 		Subd. 6.Applications. Providers seeking funding under this section shall apply to the 
3.5 	commissioner. The applicant must include a description of the project that the applicant is 
3.6 	proposing, the amount of money that the applicant is seeking, and a proposed budget 
3.7 	describing how the applicant will spend the money.
3.8 		Subd. 7.Reporting. The technical assistance provider must submit annual updates and 
3.9 	a final report to the commissioner in a manner specified by the commissioner on the technical 
3.10 	assistance provider's findings regarding the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the pilot 
3.11 	program.

3.12 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 3.13 	$8,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
3.14 	of human services for the pilot program giving funds to providers serving homeless youth 
3.15 	in section 1. Of this amount, $....... is for a contract with the technical assistance provider 
3.16 	for the activities listed in section 1, subdivision 3. This is a onetime appropriation and is 
3.17 	available until June 30, 2027.