2006 Minnesota Statutes

CHAPTER 256K. SERVICES FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES AND YOUTH

256K.01 [Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 16 s 3]

256K.015 [Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 16 s 3]

256K.02 [Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 16 s 3]

256K.03 [Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 16 s 3]

256K.04 [Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 16 s 3]

256K.05 [Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 16 s 3]

256K.06 [Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 16 s 3]

256K.07 [Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 16 s 3]

256K.08 [Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 16 s 3]

256K.09 [Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 16 s 3]

SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND MANAGED CARE PILOT PROJECT

256K.25 SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND MANAGED CARE PILOT PROJECT.
    Subdivision 1. Establishment and purpose. (a) The commissioner shall establish a
supportive housing and managed care pilot project to determine whether the integrated delivery
of employment services, supportive services, housing, and health care into a single, flexible
program will:
(1) reduce public expenditures on homeless families with minor children, homeless
noncustodial parents, and other homeless individuals;
(2) increase the employment rates of these persons; and
(3) provide a new alternative to providing services to this hard-to-serve population.
(b) The commissioner shall create a program for counties for the purpose of providing
integrated intensive and individualized case management services, employment services, health
care services, rent subsidies or other short- or medium-term housing assistance, and other
supportive services to eligible families and individuals. Minimum project and application
requirements shall be developed by the commissioner in cooperation with counties and their
nonprofit partners with the goal to provide the maximum flexibility in program design.
(c) Services available under this project must be coordinated with available health care
services for an eligible project participant.
    Subd. 2. Definition. For purposes of this section, "homeless" means having no appropriate
housing available and lacking the resources necessary to access permanent housing, as determined
by the county requesting funding under subdivision 3, and:
(1) living, or being at imminent risk of living, on the street or in a shelter; or
(2) having been evicted from a dwelling or discharged from a regional treatment center,
state-operated community-based program, community hospital, or residential treatment program.
    Subd. 3. County eligibility. (a) A county may request funding under this pilot project if
the county:
(1) agrees to develop, in cooperation with nonprofit partners, a supportive housing and
managed care pilot project that integrates the delivery of employment services, supportive
services, housing and health care for eligible families and individuals, or agrees to contract
with an existing integrated program;
(2) for eligible participants who are also MFIP recipients, agrees to develop, in cooperation
with nonprofit partners, procedures to ensure that the services provided under the pilot project are
closely coordinated with the services provided under MFIP;
(3) develops a method for evaluating the quality of the integrated services provided and the
amount of any resulting cost savings to the county and state; and
(4) addresses in the pilot design the prevalence in the homeless population served those
individuals with mental illness, a history of substance abuse, or HIV.
(b) Preference may be given to counties that cooperate with other counties participating in
the pilot project for purposes of evaluation and counties that provide additional funding.
    Subd. 4. Participant eligibility. (a) In order to meet initial eligibility criteria for the pilot
project, the county must determine that a participant is homeless or is at risk of homelessness and
is a family that meets the criteria in paragraph (b) or is an individual who meets the criteria in
paragraph (c).
(b) An eligible family must include a minor child or a pregnant woman, and:
(1) be receiving or be eligible for MFIP assistance under chapter 256J; or
(2) include an adult caregiver who is employed or is receiving employment and training
services, and have household income below the MFIP exit level in section 256J.24, subdivision 10.
(c) An eligible individual must:
(1) meet the eligibility requirements of the group residential housing program under section
256I.04, subdivision 1; or
(2) be a noncustodial parent who is employed or is receiving employment and training
services, and have household income below the MFIP exit level in section 256J.24, subdivision 10.
(d) Counties participating in the pilot project may develop and initiate disenrollment criteria,
subject to approval by the commissioner of human services.
    Subd. 5. Funding. A county may request funding from the commissioner for a specified
number of project participants. The commissioner shall review the request for compliance with
subdivisions 1 to 4 and may approve or disapprove the request. If other funds are available, the
commissioner may allocate funding for project participants who meet the eligibility requirements
of subdivision 4, paragraph (c). The commissioner may also redirect funds to the pilot project.
    Subd. 6. Report. Participating counties and the commissioner shall collaborate to prepare
and issue an annual report, beginning December 1, 2001, to the chairs of the appropriate
legislative committees on the pilot project's use of public resources, including other funds
leveraged for this initiative and an assessment of the feasibility of financing the pilot through
other health and human services programs, the employment and housing status of the families and
individuals served in the project, and the cost-effectiveness of the project. The annual report must
also evaluate the pilot project with respect to the following project goals: that participants will
lead more productive, healthier, more stable and better quality lives; that the teams created under
the project to deliver services for each project participant will be accountable for ensuring that
services are more appropriate, cost-effective and well-coordinated; and that the systemwide costs
of serving this population, and the inappropriate use of emergency, crisis-oriented or institutional
services, will be materially reduced. The commissioner shall provide data that may be needed to
evaluate the project to participating counties that request the data.
    Subd. 7. Sunset. The pilot project under this section sunsets on June 30, 2007.
History: 2000 c 488 art 10 s 25; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 10 s 55-59; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 113;
2004 c 204 s 1

LONG-TERM HOMELESS SUPPORTIVE SERVICES

256K.26 LONG-TERM HOMELESS SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
    Subdivision 1. Establishment and purpose. The commissioner shall establish the long-term
homeless supportive services fund to provide integrated services needed to stabilize individuals,
families, and youth living in supportive housing developed to further the goals set forth in Laws
2003, chapter 128, article 15, section 9.
    Subd. 2. Implementation. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioners of
the Department of Corrections and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, counties, providers
and funders of supportive housing and services, shall develop application requirements and make
funds available according to this section, with the goal of providing maximum flexibility in
program design.
    Subd. 3. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings
given:
(1) "long-term homelessness" means lacking a permanent place to live continuously for one
year or more or at least four times in the past three years; and
(2) "household" means an individual, family, or unaccompanied minor experiencing
long-term homelessness.
    Subd. 4. County eligibility. Counties are eligible for funding under this section. Priority will
be given to proposals submitted on behalf of multicounty partnerships.
    Subd. 5. Content of proposals. Proposals will be evaluated on the extent to which they:
(1) include partnerships with providers of services or other partners;
(2) develop strategies to enhance housing stability for people experiencing long-term
homelessness by integrating services and establishing consistent services and procedures across
jurisdictions as appropriate;
(3) evidence a commitment to working with the commissioners of human services,
corrections, and the Housing Finance Agency to identify appropriate households to be served
under this section and serve households as defined in subdivision 3. The commissioner may also
set criteria for serving people at significant risk of experiencing long-term homelessness, with a
priority on serving families with minor children;
(4) ensure that projects make maximum use of mainstream resources, including employment,
social, and health services, and leverage additional public and private resources in order to serve
the maximum number of households;
(5) demonstrate cost-effectiveness by identifying and prioritizing those services most
necessary for housing stability; and
(6) evaluate and report on outcomes of the projects according to protocols developed by the
commissioner of human services in cooperation with the commissioners of corrections and the
Housing Finance Agency. Evaluation would include methods for determining the quality of the
integrated service approach, improvement in outcomes, cost savings, or reduction in service
disparities that may result.
    Subd. 6. Outcomes. Projects will be selected to further the following outcomes:
(1) reduce the number of Minnesota individuals and families that experience long-term
homelessness;
(2) increase the number of housing opportunities with supportive services;
(3) develop integrated, cost-effective service models that address the multiple barriers to
obtaining housing stability faced by people experiencing long-term homelessness, including
abuse, neglect, chemical dependency, disability, chronic health problems, or other factors
including ethnicity and race that may result in poor outcomes or service disparities;
(4) encourage partnerships among counties, community agencies, schools, and other
providers so that the service delivery system is seamless for people experiencing long-term
homelessness;
(5) increase employability, self-sufficiency, and other social outcomes for individuals and
families experiencing long-term homelessness; and
(6) reduce inappropriate use of emergency health care, shelter, chemical dependency, foster
care, child protection, corrections, and similar services used by people experiencing long-term
homelessness.
    Subd. 7. Eligible services. Services eligible for funding under this section are all services
needed to maintain households in permanent supportive housing, as determined by the county or
counties administering the project or projects.
    Subd. 8. Families experiencing long-term homelessness. The commissioner, in consultation
with the commissioners of housing finance and corrections, shall assess whether the definition
of long-term homelessness impacts the ability of families with minor children experiencing
homelessness to obtain services necessary to support housing stability.
History: 1Sp2005 c 4 art 3 s 16

256K.30 [Repealed, 1Sp2003 c 14 art 1 s 107]

AT-RISK YOUTH OUT-OF-WEDLOCK PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAM

256K.35 AT-RISK YOUTH OUT-OF-WEDLOCK PREGNANCY PREVENTION
PROGRAM.
    Subdivision 1. Establishment and purpose. The commissioner shall establish a statewide
grant program to prevent or reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies among homeless,
runaway, or thrown-away youth who are at risk of being prostituted or currently being used in
prostitution. The goal of the out-of-wedlock pregnancy prevention program is to significantly
increase the number of existing short-term shelter beds for these youth in the state. By providing
street outreach and supportive services for emergency shelter, transitional housing, and services
to reconnect the youth with their families where appropriate, the number of youth at risk of
being sexually exploited or actually being sexually exploited, and thus at risk of experiencing an
out-of-wedlock pregnancy, will be reduced.
    Subd. 2. Funds available. The commissioner shall make funds for street outreach and
supportive services for emergency shelter and transitional housing for out-of-wedlock pregnancy
prevention available to eligible nonprofit corporations or government agencies to provide
supportive services for emergency and transitional housing for at-risk youth. The commissioner
shall consider the need for emergency and transitional housing supportive services throughout the
state, and must give priority to applicants who offer 24-hour emergency facilities.
    Subd. 3. Application; eligibility. (a) A nonprofit corporation or government agency must
submit an application to the commissioner in the form and manner the commissioner establishes.
The application must describe how the applicant meets the eligibility criteria under paragraph (b).
The commissioner may also require an applicant to provide additional information.
(b) To be eligible for funding under this section, an applicant must meet the following criteria:
(1) the applicant must have a commitment to helping the community, children, and
preventing juvenile prostitution. If the applicant does not have any past experience with youth
involved in or at risk of being used in prostitution, the applicant must demonstrate knowledge of
best practices in this area and develop a plan to follow those practices;
(2) the applicant must present a plan to communicate with local law enforcement officials,
social services, and the commissioner consistent with state and federal law; and
(3) the applicant must present a plan to encourage homeless, runaway, or thrown-away youth
to either reconnect with family or to transition into long-term housing.
    Subd. 4. Uses of funds. (a) Funds available under this section must be used to create
and maintain supportive services for emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless,
runaway, and thrown-away youth. Federal TANF funds must be used to serve youth and their
families with household income below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. If other
funds are available, services may be provided to youth outside of TANF-eligible families.
(b) Funds available under this section shall not be used to conduct general education or
awareness programs unrelated to the operation of an emergency shelter or transitional housing.
History: 2000 c 488 art 10 s 27

RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH ACT

256K.45 RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH ACT.
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.
(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of human services.
(c) "Homeless youth" means a person 21 years of age or younger who is unaccompanied by a
parent or guardian and is without shelter where appropriate care and supervision are available,
whose parent or legal guardian is unable or unwilling to provide shelter and care, or who lacks a
fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The following are not fixed, regular, or adequate
nighttime residences:
(1) a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living
accommodations;
(2) an institution or a publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary
living accommodations;
(3) transitional housing;
(4) a temporary placement with a peer, friend, or family member that has not offered
permanent residence, a residential lease, or temporary lodging for more than 30 days; or
(5) a public or private place not designed for, nor ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping
accommodation for human beings.
Homeless youth does not include persons incarcerated or otherwise detained under federal or
state law.
(d) "Youth at risk of homelessness" means a person 21 years of age or younger whose
status or circumstances indicate a significant danger of experiencing homelessness in the near
future. Status or circumstances that indicate a significant danger may include: (1) youth exiting
out-of-home placements; (2) youth who previously were homeless; (3) youth whose parents or
primary caregivers are or were previously homeless; (4) youth who are exposed to abuse and
neglect in their homes; (5) youth who experience conflict with parents due to chemical or alcohol
dependency, mental health disabilities, or other disabilities; and (6) runaways.
(e) "Runaway" means an unmarried child under the age of 18 years who is absent from
the home of a parent or guardian or other lawful placement without the consent of the parent,
guardian, or lawful custodian.
    Subd. 2. Homeless and runaway youth report. The commissioner shall develop a report
for homeless youth, youth at risk of homelessness, and runaways. The report shall include
coordination of services as defined under subdivisions 3 to 5.
    Subd. 3. Street and community outreach and drop-in program. Youth drop-in centers
must provide walk-in access to crisis intervention and ongoing supportive services including
one-to-one case management services on a self-referral basis. Street and community outreach
programs must locate, contact, and provide information, referrals, and services to homeless
youth, youth at risk of homelessness, and runaways. Information, referrals, and services provided
may include, but are not limited to:
(1) family reunification services;
(2) conflict resolution or mediation counseling;
(3) assistance in obtaining temporary emergency shelter;
(4) assistance in obtaining food, clothing, medical care, or mental health counseling;
(5) counseling regarding violence, prostitution, substance abuse, sexually transmitted
diseases, and pregnancy;
(6) referrals to other agencies that provide support services to homeless youth, youth at
risk of homelessness, and runaways;
(7) assistance with education, employment, and independent living skills;
(8) aftercare services;
(9) specialized services for highly vulnerable runaways and homeless youth, including teen
parents, emotionally disturbed and mentally ill youth, and sexually exploited youth; and
(10) homelessness prevention.
    Subd. 4. Emergency shelter program. (a) Emergency shelter programs must provide
homeless youth and runaways with referral and walk-in access to emergency, short-term
residential care. The program shall provide homeless youth and runaways with safe, dignified
shelter, including private shower facilities, beds, and at least one meal each day; and shall assist a
runaway with reunification with the family or legal guardian when required or appropriate.
(b) The services provided at emergency shelters may include, but are not limited to:
(1) family reunification services;
(2) individual, family, and group counseling;
(3) assistance obtaining clothing;
(4) access to medical and dental care and mental health counseling;
(5) education and employment services;
(6) recreational activities;
(7) advocacy and referral services;
(8) independent living skills training;
(9) aftercare and follow-up services;
(10) transportation; and
(11) homelessness prevention.
    Subd. 5. Supportive housing and transitional living programs. Transitional living
programs must help homeless youth and youth at risk of homelessness to find and maintain
safe, dignified housing. The program may also provide rental assistance and related supportive
services, or refer youth to other organizations or agencies that provide such services. Services
provided may include, but are not limited to:
(1) educational assessment and referrals to educational programs;
(2) career planning, employment, work skill training, and independent living skills training;
(3) job placement;
(4) budgeting and money management;
(5) assistance in securing housing appropriate to needs and income;
(6) counseling regarding violence, prostitution, substance abuse, sexually transmitted
diseases, and pregnancy;
(7) referral for medical services or chemical dependency treatment;
(8) parenting skills;
(9) self-sufficiency support services or life skill training;
(10) aftercare and follow-up services; and
(11) homelessness prevention.
History: 2006 c 264 s 13