Who is Eligible?

Clients must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the Crisis Housing Fund:

• Persons with a serious and persistent mental illness.
• Persons with community-based housing (rental or ownership) NOT state or federally funded.
• Persons of low or moderate income, as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development established for the location of the dwelling of the Program Beneficiary. Link to HUD Income Limits
• Persons admitted to a psychiatric facility (includes a facility for chemical dependency) and receiving psychiatric care for an estimated period of ninety days or less AND
• Persons applying from community hospitals must contact the county to request case management services.

What is Covered? 

Crisis Housing Funds cover housing expenses that a person was previously paying, but is no longer capable of paying because their income is being used to pay for treatment. The expense MUST be used to RETAIN community-based housing for the individual. Program funds are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Expenses should include payments towards:
Rent, Mortgage, & Utilities

Utilities include heating fuel, electricity, water, sewer, garbage disposal, and basic traditional telephone services.

An individual receiving public housing assistance must first contact the appropriate public housing authority to obtain an income adjustment (which should lower or negate the individual’s rent during the period of treatment).

For more information, please contact your Public Housing Authority or call Gary Travis, Department of Human Services at 651.431.2252.

How to Apply

Crisis Housing funds can be only requested by mail at this time. Download and complete the Payment Request Form and send it (in an agency envelope) to the Minnesota Housing Partnership, attention: Crisis Housing Fund.

All other means of paying the expense must be exhausted. Repeat users need to have a county case management plan in place (a minimum of 2 payments received).

The Payment Request Form can only be completed by the Applicant Agency adult mental health targeted case manager, not the client.

Download Payment Request Form (PDF 15K)

Eligible Applicant Agencies include nonprofit corporations, governmental units, and Indian tribes.

Additional notes for applicants:

• Applicant Agencies must have offices in Minnesota.
• Include all requested information, including the name and phone number of the Applicant Agency adult mental health targeted case manager.
• Payments will not be made without the client’s original signature and all six “Certifications by Applicant Agency” initialed by the adult mental health targeted case manager.
• MHP will contact the adult mental health targeted case manager in the case of incomplete information or any questions regarding the request.