Latest information about COVID-19 for providers of housing services

The commissioner waived certain licensing requirements for Housing Support settings to provide needed flexibility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The change allows people to move to another setting, approved by the department, in order to isolate and keep people safe.

Housing Support recipients currently live in a variety of group and individual settings. Some of the existing living arrangements may not meet social distancing guidelines, or quarantine/isolation guidelines needed to keep people safe and healthy. In addition, it may not be possible for licensors and inspectors to complete inspections during this time. This change is effective April 20, 2020, and expires June 30, 2021.

Affects Minnesota Statutes, section 256I.04 subd.2a and 2b.

$26,537,000 has been appropriated to the commissioner of human services to assist homeless shelter providers in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds will maintain or expand shelter capacity that promotes health and safety and quarantine options, purchase hygiene and sanitation supplies so providers can comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, and support staffing needs to protect the health and wellness of participants and staff.

Nonprofit organizations and local or tribal governments are eligible for the funding and do not need to be current Emergency Services Program grantees.

The appropriation is for fiscal year 2020. Funds must be expended by Feb. 1, 2021, or until 60 days after expiration of the peacetime emergency declared by the Governor, whichever occurs first.

You can find extensive information about COVID-19 response and resources for homelessness service providers from the Minnesota Heading Home Alliance.

 CSH offers a number of COVID-19 resources for supportive housing providers.

• Covid-19 Guidance for Supportive Housing Providers
• Coronavirus Disease: What Supportive Housing Providers Need to Know
• Guidance for Working With Families In Supportive Housing
• Visitor Policy Guidance for Supportive Housing Developments

The commissioner waived certain requirements for Housing Support recipients who would be vulnerable to service interruptions due to COVID-19.

This waiver extends Housing Support payments to continue housing support benefits to providers when people are: (1) quarantined outside of the home or residence; and (2) hospitalized, for any reason, during the Governor’s COVID-19 peacetime emergency.

Under current law, there is a limit to the number of days Housing Support recipients can be absent from their residence. If payments are not extended, most housing providers will not have the funding needed to hold someone’s bed or continue someone’s rental payment to a third party vendor, in which case a person would likely be discharged to the streets, an emergency shelter, a “doubled-up” situation, or to settings not meant for habitation. The loss of housing will exacerbate health disparities for vulnerable adults with disabilities or other health conditions, or adults 65 years and older with low income. With this waiver, counties and tribes would be permitted to approve good cause exemptions in order to maintain benefits, effective April 2020 through December 30, 2020.

As noted above, this waiver is ending on 12/30/2020. There is no authority to extend beyond this date.

Housing Support recipients and providers, families, case managers, and advocates: Please review the announcement for detailed information about the end of the absence waiver.

The commissioner temporarily modified certain statutory background study requirements for workers who serve vulnerable Minnesotans. Completing studies has become difficult due to closures of public fingerprinting sites and lack of response to requests for records from other states. These changes will assist health and human service providers to quickly respond to their changing workforce needs and continue to serve clients. Modifications are effective beginning April 6, 2020. This waiver expires 60 days after the end of the state peacetime emergency.

The commissioner temporarily waived requirements for reporting, documentation and signatures for Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Diversionary Work Program, General Assistance, Minnesota Supplemental Aid and housing support. 

This waiver expires 60 days after the end of the state peacetime emergency.

The commissioner waived certain requirements for economic assistance and housing programs, affecting procedures for applications and interviews, verification, changes to existing applications and reporting. The affected programs include General Assistance, Housing Support, Minnesota Supplemental Aid, the Minnesota Family Investment Program and the Diversionary Work Program. The changes also reduce barriers for families applying for cash assistance, relieve eligibility workers of after-the-fact verifications, and ensure that participants do not have to repay cash assistance overpayments caused by state, local agency or system errors. These changes will reduce the number of face-to-face contacts in county and tribal offices while making it easier for Minnesotans in sudden financial crisis to receive assistance. This waiver expires June 30, 2021.

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The Minnesota Legislature approved a one-time appropriation of $5,530,000 to temporarily increase Housing Support funding through the Department of Human Services (the Department) for expenses in the months of March, April, and May 2020. The increased funding is to help maintain access to room and board, including activities necessary to comply with federal and state health and safety guidance, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation also requires all vendors to submit documentation by October 1, 2020 showing that increased funding was used for COVID-19 related expenses.

Who will get an increased payment?

All Housing Support vendors who receive room and board payments for the months of March, April, and May 2020 are eligible for a 15% increase to those payments. In addition, Housing Support vendors that are authorized to bill for the standard Supplemental Service Rate (SSR) of $482.84 (or lower in some cases) will receive a 15% increase for eligible billing days in March, April and May 2020. Vendors with an enhanced SSR approved by the legislature are not eligible for an increase in supplemental service funding.

How will payments be issued?

The Department will issue four rounds of direct payments to Housing Support vendors by paper check. The first round will occur the week of April 13, 2020. Issuing funds by paper check allows the Department to issue funds quickly and accurately with minimal impact to other payment systems and individual benefits. It also allows for accurate tracking of increased payments as required by law.

Standard payment process continues

All vendors will receive their regularly scheduled Housing Support payments as they normally do. Room and board payments will be paid using the payment method already in place in the MAXIS payment system. Supplemental Service Rate payments will issue after authorized vendors bill for the services they provide in the MN-ITS billing system.

Increased payment process

The Department will use Housing Support payment data from March, April, and May 2020 to calculate the increased payments (see below for more info). Note that sometimes county agencies issue payments after the end of the month. Increases to those payments will be issued in the next round. Today, payments are issued separately for each person, and room and board and supplemental service funding are also issued separately. In contrast, these increased payments will be rolled up by agency as much as possible, and room and board and supplemental service funding will be merged together. Payments will default to the payee mailing address on file in the MAXIS payment system.

Four rounds of payments

The Department will issue four rounds of payments to Housing Support vendors:

1. Mid-April issuance of increases to March payments
2. Early May issuance of increases to April payments (including March payments issued in April)
3. Early June issuance of increases to May payments (including April payments issued in May)
4. Early July final issuance of increases to any outstanding payments from March, April, and May.
   
   

What kinds of expenses are eligible?

Eligible expenses are activities to maintain room and board standards, including activities to follow federal or state health and safety guidance regarding COVID-19. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• Costs for cleaning, hygiene, sanitation, or personal protection equipment for staff or residents.
• Modifications for quarantine or isolation spaces in order to meet recommended guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health.
• Costs to maintain or reconfigure meal programs or meal delivery services.
• Costs to maintain staffing levels to ensure minimum room and board standards are met.
• Costs to maintain staffing levels to ensure minimum supplemental service standards are met

How to track and report expenses

Vendors should track March, April, and May 2020 COVID-19 related expenses for maintaining room and board standards and activities that follow federal or state health and safety guidance. Expenses do not need to be tracked or applied at an individual person level, and do not need to be reported by room and board vs. supplemental service activities. For example, if staff time is partially paid by room and board as well as supplemental services, it is not required to report staffing costs separately. This allows flexibility for each agency to use the funds where they are needed most for eligible purposes.

State law requires all vendors to submit documentation by October 1, 2020 showing that increased funding was used for COVID-19 related expenses. If documentation is not submitted or demonstrated for allowable expenses, it must be repaid. Department staff will send out more information about where and how and where to report this data. Minimum tracking elements include:

• the amount received as an agency
• the amount spent as an agency
• when the funds were spent
• what the funds were used for.

Questions? Please contact dhs.dhs.grh@state.mn.us.