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About the Council
The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness is a Cabinet-level body accountable for leading the State’s efforts to achieve housing stability for all Minnesotans. The Council is comprised of the leaders of 13 state agencies, the Chair of the Metropolitan Council, and the Office of Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. The Council is led by Lt. Governor Flanagan, Co-Chaired by Human Services Commissioner Harpstead and Housing Commissioner Ho, and includes the following agencies:
- Department of Corrections
- Department of Education
- Department of Employment and Economic Development
- Department of Health
- Department of Human Rights
- Department of Human Services
- Department of Public Safety
- Department of Revenue
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Metropolitan Council
- Minnesota Housing
- Minnesota Management and Budget
- Office of Higher Education
A statewide plan focused on housing, racial and health justice for people experiencing homelessness
The Council has contracted with Rainbow Research to lead the first phase of work to develop a statewide strategic plan. That phase is focused on creating a unified, operational definition of housing, racial, and health justice for people experiencing homelessness.
Seeking your wisdom, expertise, and perspective
Rainbow Research is launching Justice Work Groups that will create a unified, operational definition of housing, racial, and health justice for people experiencing homelessness. This definition will drive the development of strategies and specific actions that will shape the statewide plan.
We invite you to join participants from across Minnesota, including leaders with lived experience of homelessness, to co-create this operational definition. There are two ways you can participate. Help us spread the word! Share this informational flyer.
Housing, Racial, and Health Justice Work Groups
Work Groups will meet five times over the next two months to braid a variety of perspectives
into a unified, operational definition of housing, racial, and health justice. We ask that Work Group members please plan to join all five meetings of the Work Groups.
| Date and Time | Links |
|---|---|
| Friday, April 29, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Join meeting (Zoom) Add meeting details to calendar: Google | Outlook | Office 365 |
| Friday, May 6, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Join meeting (Zoom) Add meeting details to calendar: Google | Outlook | Office 365 |
| Friday, May 20, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Join meeting (Zoom) Add meeting details to calendar: Google | Outlook | Office 365 |
| Friday, June 3, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Join meeting (Zoom) Add meeting details to calendar: Google | Outlook | Office 365 |
| Friday, June 17, 2022 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Join meeting (Zoom) Add meeting details to calendar: Google | Outlook | Office 365 |
To add meeting details for all work group meetings to your calendar, click here (ICS format, works with most calendar applications).
Community Conversations
In addition to the Justice Work Groups, Community Conversations provide a forum for anyone to provide input to and follow the progress of the Work Groups as they develop a unified, operational definition of housing, racial and health justice for people experiencing homelessness.
There are three Community Conversations planned:
- Friday, May 13, 2022: 10 am to Noon
- Tuesday, May 24, 2022: 6:30-8:30 pm
- Wednesday, June 22, 2022: 1:00-2:00 pm (as part of weekly webinar series)
Click on the date and time you would like to join to participate in these Community Conversations.
All are welcome to join. This success of this process depends upon gathering a wide variety of perspectives and expertise. For more information about these opportunities to participate, contact info@rainbowresearch.com. We are so grateful for your engagement.
History of the Council’s work
The Council convened in 2013, and was established under Minnesota Statutes, section 462A.29, building on a staff-level task force of State agency representatives that had coordinated State responses to homelessness for decades. As a new Cabinet-level body, the Council established Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, the first plan to focus on the vision of achieving housing stability for all Minnesotans. The initial two year plan (covering 2014-2015) was revised and reissued for another two year period (2016-2017). These plans described specific commitments of Council agencies to actions that would drive progress on these issues. In 2018, working with partners across Minnesota, the Council developed and launched Heading Home Together: Minnesota’s 2018-2020 Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, with strategies for all sectors and stakeholders in Minnesota to pursue.
In May 2021, the Council approved a direction for the next plan to focus on housing, racial, and health justice for people experiencing homelessness. Work to develop this plan is underway.
Council Meetings, Minutes and Journal of Votes
The date for the next meeting of the Council is to be determined. All meetings of the Council are open to the public.
Note: The Council may conduct this meeting by telephone or electronic means, if the conditions of Minn. Stat. 13D.015 or 13D.021 are met. The Council will, to the extent practical, allow a person to monitor the meeting electronically and may require the person making a connection to pay for documented marginal costs that an agency incurs as a result of the additional connection.
Please reach out to sue.hite-kirk@state.mn.us if you have questions.