Dear lawmakers:

Thank you for your leadership on Minnesota’s response to COVID-19. As affordable housing providers, advocates and leaders, we share your concern that our State prioritize those most vulnerable and most likely to experience dire health and economic consequences.  

Many low-income Minnesotans face loss of income as we take protective measures as a State and country to reduce risk to health and our healthcare system. For low-income Minnesotans, any break in income can have serious economic consequences, making it even harder to pay for already unaffordable rent. Ensuring stable housing is important for our individual and community health; it is critical we minimize disruptions to housing that could make it even harder for Minnesotans to mitigate the threat of COVID-19.  

Approximately 250,000 Minnesotans make at or below the minimum wage. These individuals and their families are at high risk of becoming homeless, as they are most vulnerable to health and economic harms. Housing assistance is critical to prevent homelessness and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 

To responsibly support Minnesotans at this time of crisis, the State must dedicate $100 million in emergency COVID-19 funds for housing supports through the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP).  $100 million will provide one month of FHPAP, at an estimated rate of $400 per month per household, for 250,000 families. In reality, short-term funding of several months may be needed. 

We ask that you use funding dedicated to COVID-19 from the Supplemental Budget to provide housing support with FHPAP. We recommend that Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho be provided full authority to make rule and other changes to FHPAP, to ensure these critical resources are deployed as quickly and flexibly as possible.  

We are focused on preventing the cascade of impacts in the housing industry that occurred during the foreclosure crisis of 2006-2008. These impacts resulted in a collapse of housing systems, funding and supports, as well as the escalation of deep racial disparities in our state. We hope to work closely with you to address these issues and ensure that our most vulnerable, low-income households have access to stable housing while we navigate this crisis. 

Sincerely,

[Your Name]