Olmsted County and the City of Rochester commit to federal housing solutions effort, House America
As an extension of the existing partnership to end homelessness and establish housing solutions in our community, Olmsted County and the City of Rochester have officially joined the House America effort. A media event in Rochester today highlighted House America and current housing efforts in the region.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), along with staff from the Office of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Senator Tina Smith joined the city and county for today’s House America event. It was held at Olmsted County’s newest transitional housing facility, located at 105 Broadway Avenue North in Rochester. Olmsted County dedicated $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to acquire the building. The investment is providing homes for people who were previously experiencing homelessness. Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota provides staffing for the facility.
“The Olmsted County Board decided to use $1 million in ARPA funds to assist with the acquisition of this building, in a transaction that was finalized at the beginning of April 2022,” said Olmsted County Board of Commissioners Chair Mark Thein. “This investment of ARPA funds will allow us to continue providing a home for these individuals who were previously experiencing homelessness.”
House America is a federal initiative led by the HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. As Secretary of HUD and Chair of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), Secretary Fudge invites local, state, and national leaders to join a national partnership to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to address the crisis of homelessness through a Housing First approach.
In nearly three years, Olmsted County has assisted in the creation of more than 200 new housing opportunities and case management services to help people in the community thrive. Thanks to local partnerships, Olmsted County will be able to continue creating housing solutions for families earning less than 50% of the Area Median Income and those experiencing homelessness.
In the fall of 2020, the Rochester City Council approved a plan for investing $5.1 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) funding in three key areas: support for individuals, support for public service, and economic recovery.
“I am proud of the ongoing work and commitment to support our most vulnerable,” said City of Rochester Mayor Kim Norton. “Unsheltered homelessness, in and of itself is a complex issue with many different situations and definitions. This impacted population often includes vulnerable persons with varying needs and experiences. Services to support these individuals comes in all shapes and sizes from human services to physical dwellings.”
More information
For more information on the region’s homelessness and housing resources, please visit the Olmsted County website.