Committee hears county and tribal support to make Local Homeless Prevention Aid permanent

Representative Gomez introduced House File 4561, saying the bill would "remove the sunset" on Local Homeless Prevention Aid and align tribal treatment with counties, and that the program is a flexible formula-based aid reaching all 87 counties and tribal nations.

Nathan Jessen of the Minnesota Intercounty Association told the committee LHPA "was established on a bipartisan basis in the 2021 tax bill" and that every county and tribal nation receives funding to prevent homelessness; he pointed members to a 2025 report included in committee packets that details county spending.

George Burrell, director of community social service and behavioral health for Anoka County, outlined the county's stakeholder planning and said Anoka will receive "approximately 1,400,000.0" in LHPA in 2026. He described uses including an Anoka County housing help desk, outreach and eviction court support, and school‑linked supports; Burrell gave three case examples where LHPA paid utility bills, security deposits and short-term rent to stabilize families.

Dave Dunn, Olmsted County housing director, said the county groups LHPA activity into eviction prevention, holistic case management and emergency response. He reported that in 2025 the counties partnering with Rochester Public Schools prevented 90 of 94 evictions — a success rate he described as "96 percent" — and credited embedded social workers and coordinated case management.

Matt Hilgert of the Association of Minnesota Counties emphasized LHPA's local flexibility and partnerships with schools and providers, and he urged that the program continue without a sunset. Youth and tribal speakers also urged permanence: Ash Littles (Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless) said LHPA "allows communities to show up faster" for youth, and Jordan May (Red Lake) reported tribal use and that tribes may transfer unused tribal funds to other tribes.

Committee members asked technical questions about unspent funds and reporting. Department of Revenue staff (Miss Highmark) said about $344,000 was returned to the program in fiscal 2025 and offered to provide county-level certification amounts and additional data. Vice Chair Joy and others requested a county-by-county breakdown over recent years after noticing zeros for Beltrami County in the report; Chair Gomez said follow-up with the county was appropriate and noted some zeros reflected new local trust fund setups or reporting timing rather than no allocation.

Members debated whether LHPA should be permanent, with supporters saying the program meets local needs and is more flexible than other categorical aids. Chair Gomez renewed the motion to lay House File 4561 over for possible inclusion in the 2026 taxes bill, and the committee laid the bill over.

The committee did not take a recorded roll-call vote on the layover; the motion to lay the bill over was adopted and the bill will be considered for inclusion in the omnibus taxes bill.