By Rich Larson, News Director
Last week the state House of Representatives passed the DFL proposed Health and Human Services Budget. State Representative Todd Lippert said
the bill will “invest in the care and support Minnesotans need to make it through the pandemic and thrive after it ends.”
Lippert authored two important provisions in the HHS bill. The first provides support for Personal Care Assistants. The employ of PCA’s has been largely unregulated in the state, and Lippert said his provision will raise PCA wages immediately and support a living wage in the future. He said the people who help older adults and folks with disabilities to live with dignity and survive from day to day, deserve some help to survive themselves.
Another Lippert authored provision is a requirement that before a health-care system can close a hospital, it must notify the community nine months in advance and hold hearings within that community to explain why the hospital is closing. Lippert, who serves on the House Behavioral Health Committee, said that he is concerned about the lack of mental health beds in the state, as well as the simple lack of heatlh care access in rural areas. If a Health Care System is going to close a facility necessary to a community based solely on the bottom line, they will have to explain themselves.
And in the human services section of the budget, he said he was especially happy to see money allocated to helping those who are experiencing homelessness.
“There are additional funds for emergency projections for emergency shelter for cities and rural communities across the state. This is something I’m excited about. In Northfield, we’ve had concerns about youth homelessness the last few years. It’s great to see that provision in the bill.”
The Republican controlled Senate passed their version of the HHS Budget on Thursday. The two bills will be brought to a conference committee this week. The legislature is set to adjourn on the 17th.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Todd Lippert can be heard here
Housing and rent help is available
With the end of the pandemic slowly coming into sight, lawmakers and agencies in St. Paul are looking at how best to end the Housing Eviction Moratorium that has been in place for more than a year.
The concern is with so many people behind on their rent right now, when the national moratorium expires on June 30, the country, Minnesota included, could see a flood of evictions that could quickly become a crisis.
Representative Lippert said the House passed a bill last week that would require 60 days between written notification and actual eviction, accompanied by a clear accounting of what is owed.
Northfield Housing Coordinator Melissa Hanson said that the federal government, through the American Rescue Plan, has made $350 million dollars available to Minnesota renters who are behind. The program is similar to one that was available last year through the federal CARES Act, but Hanson said, this time it is much easier for people in need to receive help, because the process has been streamlined.
“Minnesota Housing Finance agency has taken it upon themselves to administer all those funds for the renters. The first initial CARES Act from last year was more of a competitive process where our non-profits and our agencies had to apply for those funds. They decided to have one funding source, one funding administrator and that’s Minnesota Housing.”
Hanson said in order to receive rent help, a person only needs to prove that their income was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. For more information visit renthelpmn.org
Council to meet on Tuesday
The Northfield City Council will meet tomorrow night at 6pm. 
Among the items on the agenda are a presentation proclaiming this week to be National Travel and Tourism Week and an update on the city’s Climate Action Plan. The council will consider an ordinance to vacate a utility easement on a small piece of land for use in the CAC’s Hillcrest Village project. There will be discussions regarding rest room upgrades at Oddfellows Park and a security upgrade at City Hall, and discussion of a report on the 2022 mill and overlay street projects.
In all matters, the council is always interested in hearing from the public. The best way to register an opinion or a comment is through the eComment button in the City Council area of the City’s website. That page can be found by clicking here.
The council continues to meet in a virtual environment. Those meetings are available for the public to watch and to participate. The link to the meeting is also on the City Council page. That page can be found by clicking here.
