2007 Minnesota Statutes

256E.33 TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAMS.
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.
(b) "Transitional housing" means housing designed for independent living and provided to a
homeless person or family at a rental rate of at least 25 percent of the family income for a period
of up to 24 months. If a transitional housing program is associated with a licensed facility or
shelter, it must be located in a separate facility or a specified section of the main facility where
residents can be responsible for their own meals and other daily needs.
(c) "Support services" means an assessment service that identifies the needs of individuals
for independent living and arranges or provides for the appropriate educational, social, legal,
advocacy, child care, employment, financial, health care, or information and referral services
to meet these needs.
    Subd. 2. Establishment and administration. A transitional housing program is established
to be administered by the commissioner. The commissioner may make grants to eligible recipients
or enter into agreements with community action agencies or other public or private nonprofit
agencies to make grants to eligible recipients to initiate, maintain, or expand programs to provide
transitional housing and support services for persons in need of transitional housing, which may
include up to six months of follow-up support services for persons who complete transitional
housing as they stabilize in permanent housing. The commissioner must ensure that money
appropriated to implement this section is distributed as soon as practicable. The commissioner
may make grants directly to eligible recipients. The commissioner may use up to ten percent of
the appropriation available for this program for persons needing assistance longer than 24 months.
    Subd. 3. Eligible recipients. A housing and redevelopment authority established under
section 469.003 or a community action agency recognized under section 256E.31 is eligible for
assistance under the program. In addition, a partnership, joint venture, corporation, or association
that meets the following requirements is also eligible:
(1) it is established for a purpose not involving pecuniary gain to its members, partners,
or shareholders;
(2) it does not pay dividends or other pecuniary remuneration, directly or indirectly, to
its members, partners, or shareholders; and
(3) in the case of a private, nonprofit corporation, it is established under and in compliance
with chapter 317A.
    Subd. 4. Applications. An eligible recipient may apply to the commissioner, or to a nonprofit
agency designated by the commissioner, for a grant to initiate, maintain, or expand a program
providing transitional housing and support services for persons in need of transitional housing.
The application must include:
(1) a proposal for the provision of transitional housing and support services, including
program objectives, availability of adequate funding, appropriateness of the proposed program for
the population to be served, and how the program will help individuals to move into permanent
housing;
(2) a proposed budget;
(3) a plan for collection of required data and the method to be used for program evaluation;
and
(4) evidence of the participation in the development of the application of any agency or
governmental body that will provide essential services or assistance to the program.
    Subd. 5. Criteria for grant awards. Criteria for the award of grants must include:
(1) evidence that the application meets all program requirements;
(2) evidence of the need of the applicant for state assistance and of the need for the particular
program;
(3) indication of long-range plans for future funding if the need continues to exist for the
service; and
(4) assurance that grants are awarded to as wide a variety of programs as possible, with
emphasis on programs that concentrate on long-term solutions to individual housing problems.
    Subd. 6. Programs designated. At least two programs funded must be located in the
seven-county metropolitan area and at least one program must be located outside of the
metropolitan area. The commissioner may fund programs designed primarily to serve families
with children, single persons, and persons leaving a shelter for family abuse.
    Subd. 7. Funding coordination. Grant recipients must combine funds awarded under this
section with other funds from public and private sources.
    Subd. 8. Program information. In order to collect uniform data to better measure the nature
and extent of the need for transitional housing, grant recipients must collect and make available to
the commissioner the following information:
(1) the number of requests received for transitional housing, including the number of persons
requiring assistance;
(2) the number of persons for whom services are provided, listed by age;
(3) reasons for seeking assistance;
(4) length of stay;
(5) reasons for leaving the housing program;
(6) demand for support services;
(7) follow-up information on status of persons assisted, including source of income and
whether living independently, employed, or in treatment, unless the information is not available;
and
(8) source of income on entering the program, prior residence, race, and sex of persons
assisted.
    Subd. 9. Private data. Personal history information and other information collected, used, or
maintained by a grant recipient from which the identity of any individual receiving services may
be determined is private data on individuals, as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 12, and the
grant recipient must maintain the data in accordance with the provisions of chapter 13.
    Subd. 10. Licensing requirements not applicable. The requirements of sections 245A.01 to
245A.16 and chapter 245C do not apply to transitional housing and support services funded under
this section unless the commissioner of human services determines that the program is primarily a
residential program within the meaning of section 245A.02, subdivision 14.
    Subd. 11. Authority to waive requirements during disaster periods. The commissioner
may waive requirements under this section for up to nine months after the disaster for grantees
in areas where a federal disaster has been declared under United States Code, title 42, section
5121, et seq., or the governor has exercised authority under chapter 12. The commissioner shall
notify the chairs of the senate Family and Early Childhood Education Budget Division, the
senate Education Finance Committee, the house Family and Early Childhood Education Finance
Division, the house Education Committee, and the house Ways and Means Committee ten days
before the effective date of any waiver granted under this section.
History: 1984 c 640 s 32; 1984 c 654 art 5 s 42,58; 1Sp1985 c 13 s 301-305; 1Sp1985 c 14
art 9 s 75; 1987 c 291 s 204; 1989 c 47 s 1-6; 1989 c 209 art 2 s 1; 1989 c 304 s 137; 1991 c 199
art 2 s 18; 1994 c 483 s 1; 1995 c 14 s 1; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1997 c 200 art 4 s 2; 1998 c
273 s 7; 1998 c 383 s 34; 2003 c 15 art 1 s 33; 2005 c 98 art 1 s 24; 2005 c 159 art 5 s 1