Helps people with mental illness avoid homelessness by providing them with temporary rental assistance in their community. This allows people to have housing while they are on a waiting list for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers or other permanent housing subsidy programs. Housing support services are provided to participants through a local mental health authority.

Subsidies are determined by a calculation using gross income. The resident's rent is based on the resident's income.

Funding from the program may be used:
* To pay rent directly to a landlord
* For security and utility deposits
* To pay for the full rent, for up to 90 days, during medical or psychiatric crisis

• Area Served by County
  • Olmsted County 
• Specialization
  • Mental health 
  • People with low income 

Recipients must:
* Be 18 years of age or over
* Have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness as defined in the MN Comprehensive Mental Health Act
* Have a household income at or below 50 percent of the area median income

Since the program will serve as a transition to a permanent subsidy, program recipients and organizations providing housing will need to follow rules for:
* Provision of income verification
* Leasing procedures
* Federal housing quality standards
* Payment standards limits to cap program rents

Highest priority is given to people residing in an institution (such as a hospital, treatment center, correctional facility, adult foster care or other segregated setting) who will be homeless upon discharge.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Bridges serves:
* Olmsted County

Referral to the program must be made by a mental health professional. The program is administered to participants by the local housing agency in communities where eligible applicants live. This program may be full or may have a waiting list.

Olmsted County

https://www.mnhousing.gov/rental-housing/grant-programs/active-funding/bridges.html

https://www.olmstedcounty.gov/residents

10/9/2024