ST. PAUL, Minn. – Governor Tim Walz will ask the Legislature foR $1.5 billion for better housing statewide. This includes funds to address homelessness among military veterans by connecting at-risk veterans to life-stabilizing Social Security disability benefits. The plan als would help veterans with access to rental units. Walz sees Minnesota becoming the fourth state in the nation to eradicate veteran homelessness. The veterans project is in the third part of Walz’s two-year budget, which he has been unveiling incrementally the past week. The third installment deals with housing and public safety. On housing, the governor proposes $128 million for down payment assistance and $100 million community stabilization,” which includes pubic safety. “Community stabilization” is a theme in Part 3 of the Walz budget:
> $300 million for public safety
> $22 million for substance use and addiction, specifically to expand access to non-narcotic pain management, to enhance prevention and support services, to improve identification of substances involved in overdoses, and to improve sober housing care.
> $17 million to expand health insurance options, for no-cost preventative treatment, stronger mobile crisis services and mental health and adult therapeutic services.
Equity theme
Services for marginalized communities has been a theme in the first three Walx budget messages. The governor calls it the One Minnesota plan.]
Verbatim
Walz: “Protecting Minnesotans’ health and safety is foundational to everything we do. Minnesotans deserve to feel safe in their homes and have access to the support, care, and services they need to lead happy and healthy lives. With increased access to affordable health care, investments in local law enforcement across the state, common sense gun safety laws, and strong investments in affordable, stable housing – the One Minnesota Budget addresses the needs of Minnesotans wherever they are and keeps neighborhoods across the state safer and healthier.”