A bill that would secure funding for a variety of services for people experiencing homelessness passed the Minnesota House the evening of March 2.
HF444 — known as the “Pathway Home Act” — passed, with amendments, on a 73-57 vote.
The bill was proposed early during the 2023-2024 legislative session. Rep. Leigh Finke (DFL-St. Paul), bill supporter, said during House floor debate March 2, “our communities are hurting, our communities are feeling helpless and hopeless, and they really need bills like this to help lead them home.” Finke acknowledged “this (the bill) is not going to end this problem, but it is a pathway home.”
Rep. Heather Keeler (DFL-Moorhead), bill sponsor, agreed: “I want to be clear: this bill alone will not end the issue of homelessness. Ending homeless(ness) will not happen overnight; we need to work collectively with our neighbors, relatives, and community leaders to ensure people can receive services and housing needs in their communities, rather than enabling displacement outcomes.”
The bill’s current iteration would allocate just over $227 million for 2024-2025 and $112 million in base appropriations for 2026-2027, with funds going toward emergency shelter facilities, grants, and transitional housing programs, among other designations.
Catholic Charities Twin Cities has asked community members to reach out to legislators and encourage support of the bill. “We’re asking the state to step up so that we can continue to show up for our neighbors in need,” the nonprofit organization stated on its action page.
In a statement provided to The Catholic Spirit on March 6, Catholic Charities Twin Cities’ President and CEO Michael Goar said, “Ongoing public investments such as these are needed now to help stabilize our state’s emergency shelter system and our workforce, who work tirelessly to help our most vulnerable neighbors. As we now look to the Senate for action, I urge senators to vote yes on this bill without delay. Immediate passage of this bill will help ensure providers like Catholic Charities know what public support exists for the staffing and programs needed to carry out this life-saving work for the thousands of youth, adults and families that count on us every day.”
The bill is under review in the state Senate.
