AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS NEED ATTENTION

02/18/2007

ST. PAUL – Over 400 advocates for affordable housing and the homeless packed the halls of the Capitol on Thursday. Led by the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, these advocates voiced support for the Minnesota Housing Solutions Act – a bill that would help 6,500 low income households with rental assistance, 1,400 households with rental housing, and 1,200 households become home owners.

"This is one of the most important pieces of legislation that the Legislature will be considering this year," said Rep. Ken Tschumper of La Crescent. "Twenty-five percent of homeless people in Minnesota live in rural counties, including many people in Houston and Fillmore Counties. It is our responsibility in the Legislature to adequately address the needs of these and all Minnesotans."

Over 297,000 Minnesota homeowners throughout the state currently cannot afford their housing. That number is projected to grow to 330,000 by 2010. Many of these families are just one bad break away from losing their homes and everything they have. Scores of Minnesota's homeless are in fact families who have lost their homes as a result of foreclosure due to medical crisis or job loss.
81 percent of homeless children are enrolled in school, and thirty percent of homeless persons hold full or part-time jobs, but can't afford long-term housing due to low wages or lack of affordable housing. One third of homeless are veterans.

"All Minnesota families need a place to live," said Tschumper. "At least one hundred people freeze to death every year in our state because as a society we haven't adequately addressed the need for affordable housing in our state."

Rep. Tschumper spoke to a large crowd of those gathered in support of the Minnesota Housing Solutions Act at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul. In his comments to the group Tschumper defined the issue of providing affordable housing and relief for the homeless as a moral obligation that the state needs to address this session.

"We have the potential to make a real difference in people's lives this session by addressing the need to provide shelter and affordable housing for those less fortunate in our society," said Tschumper.

According to a recent poll seventy-seven percent of Minnesotans agree that more affordable housing should be a top priority for our elected officials. Several legislative committees are examining solutions to end homelessness in Minnesota including increased access to supportive housing, a system to track numbers of homeless, and grants to communities to expand affordable housing options.

"The first step toward ending homelessness in Minnesota will be by passing the Minnesota Housing Solutions Act," stated Tschumper. The Minnesota Housing Solutions Act is supported by the Housing Solutions Alliance – a group of 166 organizations including Catholic Charities Office for Social Justice, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, Lutheran Social Services, Southern Minnesota Housing Academy, and more. The bill will be heard in the Housing Policy and Finance Division in the coming weeks.


Rep. Ken Tschumper
Minnesota House 31B
http://www.KenTschumper.org
507-894-4248