RTH serves one and two-parent low-income families, as well as single women and men who are homeless due to any of the following circumstances:

1. Living on the street or in their vehicle
2. Housing not suitable for human habitation
3. Living in a shelter
4. Loss of income with eviction imminent and/or court evictions
5. Domestic violence / break-up
6. Recovery from chemical dependency
7. Mental illness issues
8. Loss of home due to fire or other reasons

On January 26, 2011, volunteers throughout St. Louis County including RTH Case Managers conducted a Point-in-Time unsheltered and sheltered homeless count. This count helps with defining the homeless issues at hand and for acquiring federal grant money.  On that night, in St. Louis County, there were 493 homeless people. These numbers have remained fairly consistent in the past three years, in 2009 there were 492 and in 2010 there were 524 homeless people.

In 2010, the referrals RTH received consisted of the following demographics: 81% were Caucasian, 6% were Native American, 5% were African American, and 8% other.  Of the 309 households referred to RTH programs: 50% had a diagnosed mental illness, 6% had a diagnosed chemical dependency condition, 25% had a diagnosed physical disability, and 15% were fleeing domestic abuse.  Overall, 765 people were served through referrals and 90% of those people were from the Iron Range Area. RTH initially turned away 70% of the households referred for housing in 2010 due to a lack of vacancy. Many of these households were put on a waiting list for housing and were assisted in locating other resources they may have been eligible for through RTH’s Outreach Program.

Shelter Case Management: RTH provides case management services in conjunction with AEOA and RMHC in the local shelters.  If there is room, households may stay in the local shelters for up to 30 days or up to 90 days in short-term transitional beds.  During this time, Case Managers assist with helping the household in securing and completing applications for housing, income, and benefits as well as other services including employment services.

Transitional Housing (THP): Currently, RTH rents 7 Transitional Housing units in the Hibbing area from private landlords and 20 units in the Virginia area.  The THP Program helps homeless families and individuals with securing and maintaining housing for up to 24 months.  Issues that arise are dealt with in a timely fashion and RTH provides landlords with additional securities in the event that the household creates problems for the landlord or neighbors.  Case Managers provide weekly home visits and monthly home inspections to ensure that needs are being met and units are kept up at an acceptable level.  RTH works as a liaison between the tenants and the landlords and often mediates differences as well as provides support to both tenant and landlord.

Furniture Program: This is a program that utilizes community donations to help furnish apartments.  It serves not only RTH participants but also any low-income household that is in need depending on availability.

Permanent Housing Program: This is a permanent program that serves those who are currently disabled and meet HUD’s definition of homelessness.  It is a scattered-site program and currently houses 8 households in the Hibbing area and 11 in the Virginia area.

Chronic Permanent Housing Program: This permanent program serves those who are currently disabled and meet HUD’s definition of chronically homeless. It is also a scattered-site program that currently houses 23 households in the Hibbing and Virginia areas.

• Start Date: Year 6 August 1st, 2011 through July 31, 2012
• Term: 1 year
• Funding Sources(FY 2011-2012)
• Primary: HUD Supportive Housing Grant (HUD-SHP)
• Secondary: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
• Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG)-
• United Way of NE MN
• Rental Income
• Total Households to be served: 23 Individuals in scattered-site units

Section B
Household Eligibility Criteria:  All participants must meet HUD’s definition of Chronic Homelessness.  HUD’s definition is as follows:

The participant must be residing in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings.  Or, they must be residing in a shelter.

And

A Chronically Homeless Person is an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more or had at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the past three (3) years.

A Disabling Condition is defined as a diagnosable substance use disorder, serious mental illness, developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or disability including the co-occurrence of two or more of these conditions.  In defining Chronic Homeless, the term homeless means a person sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation (e.g. living on the streets) or in an emergency shelter.

Ineligible Households include those who are coming from Transitional Housing, those being evicted, those doubled-up, those who are at risk of losing their housing, those leaving treatment centers or institutions.

Ineligible persons include those in prison for more than 30 days, those paying more than 30% of their income for rent, those in substandard housing, those living with relatives or friends, those in overcrowded housing, those who are wards of the state or in foster care, those in the state mental health system which has a discharge plan such as a Minnesota rule 36 facility, IRTS and those court order programs that include housing.

• Start Date: Year 11     May 1st, 2011 through April 30, 2012
• Term: 1 year
• Funding Sources(FY 2011-2012)
  • Primary: HUD Supportive Housing Grant (HUD-SHP)
  • Secondary:  Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
    • United Way of NE MN
    • St. Louis County ESG
    • Rental Income
• Total Households to be served:  19 Individuals or Families in scattered-site units

Section B
Household Eligibility Criteria:  All participants must meet HUD’s definition of Homelessness for Permanent Supportive Housing renewal grants.  HUD’s definition is as follows:

The participant must be residing in (1) places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings; (2) in an emergency shelter; or (3) in Transitional housing for homeless persons who originally came from the streets or an emergency shelter. (4) In addition, persons who ordinarily sleep on the street or in an emergency or transitional housing but are spending a short time (30 consecutive days or less) in a hospital or other institution will also be considered eligible for assistance

Please Note:

A member of the household must have a severe disability that impairs their ability to live independently without support services and supportive housing in order for the household to obtain permanent housing under the Supportive Housing Program of HUD. The definition of disability is referred to in the McKinney Vento Act and includes those whose primary diagnosis may include a severe chemical addiction such as alcoholism or drug abuse.

Ineligible persons include those in prison for more than 30 days, those paying more than 30% of their income for rent, those in substandard housing, those living with relatives or friends, those in overcrowded housing, those who are wards of the state or in foster care, those in the state mental health system which has a discharge plan such as a Minnesota rule 36 facility, IRTS and those court order programs that include housing.

• Start Date: Year 15  April 1st, 2011 through March 31, 2012
• Term: 1 year
• Funding Sources(FY 2011-2012)
• Primary: HUD Supportive Housing Grant (HUD-SHP)
• Secondary: Family Homeless Prevention (FHPAP)
• Duluth Superior Foundation-Central Mesabi Fund
• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
• United Way of NE MN
• Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG)
• Rental Income
• Total Households to be served: 7 Individuals or Families in scattered-site units

Section B
Household Eligibility Criteria:  All participants must meet HUD’s definition of Homelessness for Transitional Housing renewal grants.  HUD’s definition is as follows:

The participant must be residing in (1) places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings; (2) in an emergency shelter; or (3) in Transitional housing for homeless persons who originally came from the streets or an emergency shelter. (4) In addition, persons who ordinarily sleep on the street or in an emergency or transitional housing but are spending a short time (30 consecutive days or less) in a hospital or other institution will also be considered eligible for assistance
Please Note
You may also serve persons who, but for assistance from these programs, would be living on the streets. This includes persons:
(A) being evicted within a week from a private dwelling unit and no subsequent residence has been identified and the person lacks the resources and support networks needed to obtain housing; or (B) being discharged within a week from an institution in which the person has been a resident for more than 30 consecutive days and no subsequent residence has been identified and he/she lacks the resources and support networks needed to obtain housing.

Ineligible persons include those in prison for more than 30 days, those paying more than 30% of their income for rent, those in substandard housing, those living with relatives or friends, those in overcrowded housing, those who are wards of the state or in foster care, those in the state mental health system which has a discharge plan such as a Minnesota rule 36 facility, IRTS and those court order programs that include housing.

• Start Date: Year 19- July 1st, 2011 through June 30, 2012
• Term: 1 year
• Funding Sources(FY 2011-2012)
  • Primary: Department of Human Services (OEO THP)
  • Secondary:
    • Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
    • Family Homeless Prevention Assistance (FHPAP)
    • AEOA Shelter (HUD-SHP)
    • Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG)
    • United Way of NE MN
• Total Households to be served:  20 Households on-site at Pine Mill Court

Section B
Household Eligibility Criteria:  All participants should meet HUD’s definition of Homelessness for Transitional Housing.  HUD’s definition is as follows:

The participant must be residing in (1) places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings; (2) in an emergency shelter; or (3) in Transitional housing for homeless persons who originally came from the streets or an emergency shelter. (4) In addition, persons who ordinarily sleep on the street or in an emergency or transitional housing but are spending a short time (30 consecutive days or less) in a hospital or other institution will also be considered eligible for assistance
Please Note
You may also serve persons who, but for assistance from these programs, would be living on the streets. This includes persons:
(A) being evicted within a week from a private dwelling unit and no subsequent residence has been identified and the person lacks the resources and support networks needed to obtain housing; or (B) being discharged within a week from an institution in which the person has been a resident for more than 30 consecutive days and no subsequent residence has been identified and he/she lacks the resources and support networks needed to obtain housing.

Ineligible persons include those in prison for more than 30 days, those paying more than 30% of their income for rent, those in substandard housing, those living with relatives or friends, those in overcrowded housing, those who are wards of the state or in foster care, those in the state mental health system which has a discharge plan such as a Minnesota rule 36 facility, IRTS and those court order programs that include housing.

RTH is part of St. Louis County Resource Booklet, Information and Referral Hotline, and is listed in the phone book including the yellow pages. RTH has also taken out ads in the local news papers to promote programs and is in the process of setting up a website.