Community Development Division:

Community Development strives to meet three basic national goals: provide decent housing, provide a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities. In meeting these goals CDBG funds are devoted to four general categories which are: housing, economic development, physical improvement and public service. HOME program funds are 100% devoted to promoting affordable housing, ESG funds are 100% devoted to homelessness, and State FHPAP funds are 100% devoted to a preventative approach to homelessness. Homeless SuperNOFA funds are devoted 100% to the development of homeless supportive housing and services to transition homeless individuals to live independently.

The information which follows gives an overview of each program, and concludes with specific information about each. Telephone numbers are provided for those who wish to call for additional information.

Overview

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

Housing CDBG initiatives concentrate on owner occupied rehabilitation, rental units rehabilitation and a housing project for mixed incomes. Physical Improvement CDBG initiatives center on water and sewer infrastructure, removal of architectural barriers and community center/fire hall expansions. Economic Development initiatives involve low interest loans for microenterprise businesses, and Public Service CDBG initiatives concentrate on filling gaps in homeless continuum of Care plan and initiating new human service projects where gaps occur.

• Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG)

ESG initiatives are used for the purpose of improving the quantity and quality of emergency shelters, to assist in the cost of operations, and provide essential social services to homeless individuals. Nonprofit agencies are funded to accomplish program goals.

• Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP)

FHPAP initiatives in St. Louis County provide three critical services. These are flex funds, which can be used for deposits, moving expenses and other costs necessary to access and maintain permanent housing, stabilization services and housing resource services. St. Louis County contracts with seven nonprofit agencies to provide these services across the county. In the first year of funding, stabilization services were able to prevent 79% of households served from becoming homeless.

• HOME

HOME initiatives expand the supply of affordable housing units for very low income and low income families and promote the involvement of private nonprofit organizations in affordable housing projects. HOME Program activities include homeowner rehabilitation, down payment and closing costs for first time homebuyers, new construction of rental housing, and rental rehabilitation for special needs populations.

• SuperNOFA

HUD SuperNOFA initiatives are just getting underway in the spring of 1997. Nine proposals for new and enhanced services to serve homeless persons and those at risk for homeless are funded. The projects, in brief, will provide direct services for people with serious and persistent mental illness and for those duel diagnosed as chemically dependent; rebuild and expand a drop in center; purchase and rehabilitate a property to house persons diagnosed as SPMI; a rental assistance program for persons with SPMI; an expansion of a transitional housing program in northern St. Louis County; purchase and rehabilitation of property to provide transitional housing for women; expanded service to homeless American Indian transitional housing; support services focusing on families and individuals with few resources.

Program Specifics

Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)

Annually the County receives approximately $2.6 million for projects in four categories: housing, economic development, physical improvement, and public services. Eligible applicants are cities, townships, and nonprofits within St.Louis County, excluding the City of Duluth. Applicants must document that the proposal meets one of two national objectives. Application forms for 1998 applicants are available from the Community Development Division office after April 1, 1997. The application process is competitive. A workshop on the process is held early spring of 1997 for projects carried out in 1998. Call 218-749- 9741.

Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESG)

Emergency Shelter Grant Program provides funding to convert, renovate, or rehabilitate buildings into emergency shelters. It also provides funds for food, consumable supplies, and beds and bedding. Outreach activities to prevent homelessness, direct assistance for the prevention of homelessness for rent, security and utility deposits upon eviction notice, and case management services for transitional housing programs are also eligible activities under the program. St. Louis County annually receives a formula allocation from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the funding is allocated to the private non-profit organizations through a collaborative planning process with the St. Louis County Planning Department. The planning process is conducted in February of each year, and approximate funding of $75,000 is contracted to agencies involved in the collaborative planning in April. Call 218-749-9741.

HOME Investments Partnerships Program (HOME)

Created in 1990, HOME is a federally funded large scale grant program that can be used for a wide range of housing activities. The HOME Program provides state and local governments flexibility to decide what kind of housing assistance, or mix of housing assistance, is most appropriate to meet their housing needs. In conjunction with HUD, St. Louis County worked to form a HOME Program Consortium with Lake, Cook, Koochiching and Itasca Counties. The purpose of the consortium is to ensure a sufficient allocation of HOME Program funds will be available to the counties. St. Louis County is designated as the lead agency and fiscal agent for this five county consortium and is responsible for administering and monitoring the program. Call 218-749-9741.

Homeless SuperNOFA

• Supportive Housing Program

Supportive Housing Program is designed to promote the development of supportive housing and supportive services to assist homeless persons in the transition from homelessness and to enable them to live as independently as possible. Applicants may propose projects under five components: transitional housing, permanent housing safe havens, supportive services only, and innovative supportive housing. Eligible applicants are: states, local governments, other governmental entities, tribes and Indian housing authorities, private nonprofit organizations and community mental health associations. The SHP application process begins with the publication of a NOFA in the Federal Register. The NOFA gives application details and deadlines. Applications must be submitted by the deadline in the NOFA. It is a three year funding period.

• Shelter Plus Care

The Shelter Plus Care Program provides rental housing assistance in connection with supportive services to persons in permanent housing. Applicants may propose projects for rental assistance in four areas:

1) tenant-based,
2) sponsor-based,
3) project-based, and
4) SRO- based.

Eligible applicants include: states, local government, tribes, and PHA'S. This program is designed to serve persons with a disability who are homeless and their families; homeless persons who are seriously mentally ill and/or have dual diagnosis of chemical dependency; and persons who have AIDS and related diseases. Information related to notification, application process and deadline is the same as for the Supportive Housing Program. The funding cycle under Shelter Plus Care is 5 years. Call 218-725-5011.

Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP)

In 1993, the Minnesota Legislature established the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program to assist families who are homeless or at risk for homelessness. It is administered by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency and represents a preventative approach to homelessness. The legislation established a set of desired outcomes concerning the prevention of homelessness, including, shortening the length of stay in emergency housing, and eliminating repeated periods of homelessness among families. This program, funded on a biennial basis, is designed to encourage and support innovation at the local, county, and regional level, to redesign the existing response system to homelessness, or to establish a comprehensive system. Call 218-725-5011.

Human Services Division:

The three Human Service Planners provide technical assistance to human service programs in the following areas: grant writing, application/proposal development, group facilitation, strategic planning and development, evaluation, and report development.

Human Service Planners work in a variety of areas that change according to requests received from other departments within the county. Current assignments include:

• FUTURE SENIORS TASK FORCE: A broad-based community group exploring the changing needs of seniors in the Duluth area. Issues facing this group include declining utilization of existing Senior Centers, diminishing resources, lack of coordination, diversity among seniors and the welfare stigma associated with existing centers. Recommendations from the group will be important, as "baby boomers" age and look to the community for social, recreational and volunteer opportunities. For more information, contact Judy Holden, 218-725-5011 or

• RURAL / URBAN HOUSING COUNCIL: A county-wide group of housing and support service providers who are dedicated to reducing homelessness in St. Louis County. This group has been successful in obtaining state and federal funding grants to serve those persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The collaboration involve in this effort has been critical in dealing with the vastness of the county and the diversity of needs. The group is formally structured and meets on a monthly basis to evaluate existing programs and to create new programs designed to fill gaps in the present system. For more information contact Judy Holden, 218-725-5011 or

• MANAGED CARE JOINT PURCHASING DEMONSTRATION PROJECT: County commissioners from the northeastern Minnesota counties of Carlton, Cook, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis formed a Joint Powers Board in 1994 to develop alternative managed care models that are responsive to the needs of local consumers, providers, and communities. As part of this project, the Joint Powers Board is working with the Minnesota Department of Human Services to develop a managed care system for persons with disabilities who receive Medical Assistance. The Joint Powers Board formed the Disabilities Work Group to assist with the disabilities project development. This group consist of county staff, providers, advocates, and consumers from the five counties. St. Louis County Planning Department staff assist the St. Louis County Social Service department by facilitating the Disabilities Work Group. For more information, contact Doug Britton, Social Services Department, at 726-2095.

• COUNTY STRATEGIC PLANNING: Staff from the St. Louis County Planning Department assist the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners and county departments in comprehensive strategic planning. For more information, contact Mark Flaherty, 218-725-5008.

• FAMILY SERVICE COLLABORATIVES: Family Service Collaboratives were initiated by Gov. Arne Carlson and the Minnesota Legislature in 1993. Funding will be provided for five years to foster cooperation and collaboration to help communities come together in support of children and families. Mandated Partner Agencies include the St. Louis County Social Services, St. Louis County Public Health, Arrowhead Regional Corrections and School Districts. There are three Family Service Collaboratives within St. Louis County committed to improving the lives of families and children, birth to eighteen. Each Family Service Collaborative has developed it's own unique set of services to meet this goal within their respective service delivery areas. For general information on St. Louis County Collaboratives, contact Jane Gilley at 218-725-5010 or .

The Duluth Area Family Service Collaborative has three Family Resource Centers that serve to make existing programs more available and responsive to families. Services include: parenting support; direct access to City Police; referrals to local education and support services; Child and Teen Check-ups; Family Wellness Education; Family Resource Library; Advocacy for neighborhood concerns. For more information on the Duluth Area Collaborative contact Judith Oleson, Coordinator, located at the Washington Center, 310 N. 1st Ave. W., Duluth, 55802, 218-723-3520. Each Center is also staffed by a Family Advocate: Dave Geary is the Family Advocate at Washington Family Resource Center, 723-3520; Carol Dinius is the Family Advocate at Memorial Family Resource Center, 5315 Grand Ave. Duluth, 55807, 218-723-3508; Linda Papison is the Family Advocate at Lester Park Family Resource Center, 54th Ave. E. & Oneida St., Duluth, 55804, 218-525-3215.

The Northern St. Louis County Collaborative is providing enhanced services for families and children at three St. Louis County Schools sites of Orr, Tower and Albrook. The goal of the Family Service Centers is to enhance the connection between community and school. Services include early intervention, direct services and coordinated community family events. For more information contact Kathy Hill, Coordinator at the ISD #2142 Administration Offices, 731 Third Street South, Virginia, 55792, 218-749-8130.

The Hibbing Family Resource Center offers the surrounding community an array of co-located early intervention and outreach services including Kiddy Karousel Child Care Center, Early Childhood Family Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Leaming Readiness, Head Start and Public Health Services, including Women, Infant, Toddler (WIC) nutrition clinics, Early Periodic Screening (EPSDT) clinics and immunizations. The Hibbing Family Resource Center is located at 3920 13th Ave. E., Hibbing, 55746. For more information contact Cathy Righino, Coordinator, at 218-262-5662.

OTHER RESOURCES

For information at the federal level:

• contact the Census Bureau (www.census.gov/) for statistics on St. Louis County or any one of its twenty-seven cities.

• contact Thomas (www.thomas.loc.gov/), a service of the U.S. Congress providing legislative information on the Internet.

For information at the state level -

• contact Northstar (www.state.mn.us/maimenu.html) for Minnesota Government
  Information or State Legislature (www.leg.state.mn.us/)

• contact State Departments directly:

MN Planning (www.mnplan.state.mn.us/)

MN Demographer (www.mnplan.state.us/demography/index.html)

Department of Human Services (www.dhs.state.mn.us/)

Department of Children, Families and Learning (www.children.state.mn.us/)

Department of Economic Security (www.des.state.mn.us/)