as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/09/2023 08:37pm
A bill for an act
relating to housing; establishing the Home Heroes Act to provide seniors with
services to age in place.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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$....... in fiscal year 2024 is appropriated from the general
fund to the commissioner of the Housing Finance Agency for the purposes of this section.
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(a) The Home Heroes Act is established under the administration
of the Housing Finance Agency to provide stable housing services in times of home
emergencies and crisis to a targeted population of low-income individuals and families, to
help them age in place.
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(b) For the purposes of this section, "targeted population" means low-income individuals
who are seniors, veterans, military service personnel, first responders, and disabled persons,
including their families.
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The agency may use the funds to provide the following services
to the targeted population:
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(1) rental assistance; and
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(2) emergency assistance.
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The agency must collaborate with entities
in subdivision 5 to create digital educational material to inform the targeted population of
services and help the targeted population age in place. The educational material may include
fix-it workshops, home improvement programs, sweat equity programming, academic
seminars, and other programming modeled after the Habitat for Humanity material.
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The agency must coordinate services and activities
with other entities to accomplish the purposes of this section and provide housing services
to the targeted population. The entities the agency must work with include but are not limited
to the following:
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(1) the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness;
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(2) private and public businesses;
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(3) nonprofit service providers;
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(4) academia; and
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(5) private and public funders and sponsors.
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