Why Is Hennepin County Facing Funding Challenges To Help The Homeless?
Hennepin County is facing a funding cliff for homeless services, but there’s still time to find solutions and keep making a difference. 🏘️ #HennepinCounty #MinneapolisNews #MNGovernmentNews
Minneapolis, MN – Hennepin County is staring down a serious money problem when it comes to helping homeless folks in Minneapolis. The county has used federal COVID relief cash to make some big changes to how they handle homelessness emergencies, but that money is going to disappear at the end of 2025. County officials are worried that all the progress they’ve made could go poof if they can’t find new ways to pay for it.
The good news is that there’s still some time to figure things out. The county’s director of housing stability, David Hewitt, told reporters they’re talking about it now because they know how important these services are to the community.
🏘️ A Shelter System in Jeopardy
Thanks to the relief money, the county has been able to get more people into shelters than they have in the last eight years. Right now, about 86% of homeless people in Hennepin County have a place to stay, which is a lot better than most big cities in the U.S.
The money has also helped pay for things like tiny home villages run by a group called Avivo. These villages have helped over 500 people find permanent places to live since 2021, but they cost around $5 million a year to keep running. Another shelter that helps Native American folks would also lose funding if the relief money goes away.
😰 What’s at Stake
If the county can’t find new money, a lot of the shelters that are open all day and night right now would have to go back to just being open overnight. That would mean losing over 320 beds for people who need them.
The relief money has also been paying for case managers who help homeless people navigate the confusing process of finding permanent housing. Hewitt says this has been one of the county’s biggest priorities for making things better.
💰 Follow the Money
Before the pandemic, Hennepin County was spending about $15 million a year on homeless shelters and emergency response. Now, they’re spending more like $50 million, with a big chunk of that coming from the federal relief funds.
The county has also been using the relief money to help pay for their promise to always provide shelter for families with kids who are at risk of being homeless. They say they’ll keep doing this even without the extra cash, but it might mean that local property taxes have to go up to cover the cost.
🔎 Looking for Solutions
County officials and non-profit leaders are on the hunt for new ways to pay for these important services. Avivo, the group that runs the tiny home villages, says they’ve looked into buying the warehouse where the villages are instead of keep renting it with public money. They think that could be a smarter way to use funds in the long run.
Avivo’s John Tribbett told reporters they want to work with anyone who’s willing to help come up with a plan that will last, so they can keep tackling homelessness head-on.
🌞 A Brighter Future Ahead
Even though the funding situation looks tough, there’s still hope on the horizon. Hennepin County has shown that it’s possible to make a real difference in the lives of homeless folks when you’ve got the resources to do it right. With some creative thinking and good ol’ Minnesota teamwork, there’s no reason why this progress has to stop.
So let’s all put our heads together and find a way to keep these vital services going strong. Because everyone deserves a safe place to call home, and together, we can make that dream a reality for all our neighbors in need. 🏡💕
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🗣 What do you think about this news? Have any ideas to help the situation? We’d LOVE to hear from you in the comments section below. ⬇️
