State and Local Rental Assistance Programs
Bridges
The Bridges Program helps individuals and families—including at least one adult with a serious mental illness—cover the cost of privately owned rental housing. Referrals are accepted from county case managers or other organizations contracted to provide case management in Olmsted County.
Olmsted County will work with eligible participants and will follow Minnesota Housing’s required prioritization structure when determining access to assistance. This prioritization is also reflected in Olmsted County’s waiting list management and tenant selection plan. Priority is given in the following order
- People living in an institution, segregated setting, or under correctional supervision who will be homeless upon exit.
- People experiencing homelessness who are assessed as high priority homeless (HPH) through the coordinated entry (CE) system. Including households of individuals, families with children, or youth (age 18+).
People who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of being homeless
Transitional Rental Assistance Program (TRAP)
TRAP provides temporary rental assistance and housing-related expenses, such as application fees and security deposits, in partnership with supportive services.
Partnership with Minnesota Housing
Minnesota Housing provides funding through the Housing Trust Fund. Rental assistance is provided in partnership with services to help participants achieve housing stability and transition to permanent, sustainable housing opportunities.
Admission criteria
- Head of household must be 18 years or older.
- Family must be experiencing homelessness and meet the River Valleys CoC definition of High Priority Homeless.
- All referrals are received from the local Coordinated Entry System.
- Gross household income is at or below 60% of Area Median Income (AMI), with priority given to 30% AMI.
- Must not be a registered lifetime sex offender.
- Must not be convicted of methamphetamine production.
Partnering for Alternative Tenant Choice Housing (PATCH)
PATCH provides rental assistance to individuals and families with an adult in the household who has a disabling condition and receives case management services through Olmsted County or a contracted provider.
Partnership with Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)
PATCH is funded through a cost-neutral transfer from the Minnesota Department of Human Services. PATCH uses funding in different and creative ways to provide affordable housing to more people.
Admission criteria
- Head of household must be 18 or older.
- One adult in the household must have a certified disability or disabling condition: mental illness, learning disability, developmental disability, substance use disorder, or physical illness, injury, or impairment.
- Income is at or below 50% of Area Median Income (AMI).
- Must not be a registered lifetime sex offender.
- Must not be convicted of methamphetamine production.
Homework Starts with Home (HWSH)
Homework Starts with Home (HSWH) is a grant program focused on addressing homelessness and housing instability among students and their families. The program serves families with children eligible for a pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 academic program and youth (with or without children of their own) who are eligible for an academic program through grade 12 and who are without their parent or guardian (unaccompanied youth).
HSWH uses the Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) and the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) rental assistance program guidelines to prevent homelessness whenever possible and if homelessness does occur, to help make sure that it is rare, brief, and non-recurring.
Bring It Home
The Bring It Home Rental Assistance Program, also referred to as “Bring It Home”, is a new program to create rental assistance for low-income families across Minnesota. Funded by state appropriations and a new metro sales tax for housing, the program will provide grants to eligible Program Administrators who will administer the program as direct tenant and/or project-based rental assistance for cost-burdened households at 50% area median income (AMI) or less. Priority for rental assistance shall be given to households earning under 30% AMI that include children.
Admission criteria
- Maximum household income of 50% AMI, as determined at the time of initial receipt of rental assistance and recertified annually;
- Priority for households with children under the age of 18 and annual incomes below 30% AMI
Program Contact Information:
Megan Dahling - Program Manager
BIH Program Administrator
P: 507-328-6265