Supports available for students experiencing housing instability
(04/30/2021) The Anoka-Hennepin Homeless Outreach, Prevention and Education (HOPE) office is guided by the McKinney-Vento Act.
This federal law provides students living in temporary living situations or experiencing homelessness access to opportunities that will help them to fully participate in school, including access to educational stability, immediate enrollment, free breakfast and lunch at school and transportation support.
If you or someone you know have experienced a loss of housing or are experiencing homelessness, and are in need of support, Anoka-Hennepin staff can point you in the right direction. At each district school, there is a designated Homeless Education Lead who provides support to our students and families experiencing homelessness, ensuring access to supportive services and educational rights as named under the McKinney-Vento Act.
Statewide emergency rental assistance
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many families to experience financial hardship. If you have experienced hardship and need assistance to pay rent or utility bills, you may be eligible for COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance.
Minnesota Housing recently announced that RentHelpMN is open and accepting applications. RentHelpMN makes it possible for eligible renters to get caught up on overdue rent and utilities dating back to March 13, 2020. It also makes provisions for those at risk of falling behind on rent payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please note that RentHelpMN is in Phase One, in which people with past due rent who meet eligibility requirements are invited to apply.
To apply for RentHelpMN, please visit renthelpmn.org or call 211. The 211 helpline has dedicated multilingual staff available to answer questions about RentHelpMN Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.