December 02, 2021

On average, it takes 20 months after a disaster before the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s housing assistance programs begin distributing money to victims. Under a new program, private lenders will begin filling the gap. The program will distribute money for disaster repairs through loans from Enterprise and Morgan Stanley, and taxpayers will repay the loans with interest. It’s received mixed responses.

The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority is planning to spend $34 million to build 84 units at 16 separate sites spread across the city starting in 2022. The project—the largest the housing authority has undertaken in about 20 years—will use funds allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act and low-income housing tax credits and bonds. It will increase the city’s total public housing units by 10 percent, will add 17 units for people experiencing homelessness, and aims to provide housing and stability for families, including upwards of 400 children.

Five years ago, Denver launched a program that provides stable housing to people in frequent contact with jail, detox centers, and emergency rooms. The program has successfully kept residents housed and saved the government millions of dollars. The US Department of Treasury offered Denver $6.4 million to expand the program—if it can demonstrate Medicare and Medicaid savings over the next seven years. “When you make those investments, and you’re intentional about them, you have success, and suddenly, the people that you see that are sleeping outside are no longer homeless because they’re housed,” said Cathy Alderman, chief communications, and public policy officer for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

A new Long Beach City College pilot program will allow students who are living in their vehicles to park on campus overnight with a security guard present to ensure their safety. It will give students access to showers and lockers and will connect them with services like free food, access to mental health resources, free bus passes, and technology support. “We don’t look at this as a long-term solution. This is really a transitional solution. And so we kind of case-manage these students in as quickly as possible and transition them to more stable forms of housing,” said Michael Muñoz, the college’s interim superintendent-president.