MINNESOTA DELEGATION ENSURES ST. BARNABAS AND CRESTVIEW HOUSING WILL REMAIN OPEN TO SERVE HOMELESS

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan delegation from Minnesota joined together to ensure that the doors remain open at St. Barnabas and Crestview Apartments, facilities that help house Twin Cities’ homeless.

Rep. Jim Ramstad authored a letter, signed by Sen. Mark Dayton, Sen. Norm Coleman, Rep. Betty McCollum and Rep. Martin Olav Sabo, to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Alphonso Jackson urging immediate attention to these facilities.

St. Barnabas would have lost its funding by February 26 and Crestview by May 2004 if they were not approved for required HUD waivers.  Both projects were a priority of Governor Tim Pawlenty’s state-level initiative to end long-term homelessness in Minnesota by 2010.  They were also approved by the local Public Housing Authority and were awaiting approval from HUD.

Senator Coleman received approval from Secretary Jackson in a recent telephone call.

The Pawlenty Administration is also working with the Minnesota delegation and HUD to develop a long-term strategy to ensure that Minnesota’s supportive housing facilities continue to receive the funding they need. 

“These funds are critical support for our efforts to end long-term homelessness in Minnesota," said Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. "We're grateful to our Congressional delegation for their work in furthering the state-federal partnership we've formed to tackle this important issue."

“I’m pleased that we were able to work together in a bi-partisan manner to get this important project approval,” Coleman said. “Approval of this project will help efforts to combat long-term homelessness in the Twin Cities.”

“It is essential that these facilities remain open to homeless Minnesota families,” said Dayton. 

“We have a moral, ethical and constitutional obligation to break the cycle of homelessness, addiction and despair – and that’s exactly what these important projects are all about,” said Ramstad.  “Keeping these projects open is not only the right thing to do for homeless people and their families; it’s also the cost-effective thing to do.”

"These are wonderful projects serving people in real need and they deserve the full support of Congress,” said McCollum. 

"Quality supportive housing programs are critical to ending chronic homelessness.  Minnesota has a good, long record in linking housing and supportive services for vulnerable people, and the Administration has done the right thing by agreeing to fund St. Barnabas and Crestview," said Sabo.  "Many other supportive housing programs are still in danger, however, and we need to develop sound long-term federal and state policies to stabilize them, rather than rely on short-term solutions."

St. Barnabas is a Section 8 facility with 52 units, located in Minneapolis.  Crestview has 44 units, and is located in St. Paul.

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