MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Superintendent’s Office

May 8, 2007

ENDORSEMENT OF THE HEARTH ACT 2007, HR 840

The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH Act), H.R. 840 would reauthorize Title IV of the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act Programs that are administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and would more closely align the HUD definition of homelessness with that used by the U.S. Department of Education, thereby making more children, youth and families eligible for HUD homeless assistance and requiring stronger partnerships between school districts and their communities to ensure consideration of the educational needs of children and youth when working to meet the housing and service needs of homeless families.

The Chief of Student Support Services, Family and Community Engagement recommends endorsement of the HEARTH Act 2007, HR 840.

Recommendation:  That the Board of Education, Special School District No. 1, adopt the resolution to endorse the HEARTH Act 2007, HR 840.

            Respectfully submitted,

            William D. Green, J.D., Ph.D.
            Superintendent of Schools

Minneapolis Public Schools
Board of Education

May 8, 2007

RESOLUTION ADOPTING AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE HEARTH ACT 2007, HR 840

WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States is reauthorizing the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act; and

WHEREAS, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH Act), H.R. 840, would reauthorize Title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Programs that are administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and

WHEREAS, the HEARTH Act aligns the HUD definition of who is homeless more closely with the definition used by the U.S. Department of Education to include people who are living in double-up situations or in hotels/motels to make many more children, youth and families eligible for HUD homeless assistance, providing communities with the flexibility to serve the people who are homeless within their borders with a range of housing solutions; and

WHEREAS, the Minneapolis Public Schools acknowledges the strong relationship between homelessness of children and youth and their attendance and achievement in school; and that the school district’s responsibility is to focus on the educational achievement of the large number of homeless children and youth attending our schools and the community has a responsibility to provide housing and shelter for these children, youth and their families; and

WHEREAS, the HEARTH Act would foster stronger partnerships between school districts and their communities by requiring that local government Continuum of Care (CoC) applications include assurances that project sponsors establish policies and practices that are consistent with and do not restrict the exercise of the educational rights of homeless children and youth, place families with children as close as possible to their school of origin so as not to disrupt children’s education, and require that community homeless assistance planning boards include the participation of local school district homeless education liaisons or their designee; and

WHEREAS, the HEARTH Act codifies principles of local control over HUD homeless assistance grant funding by writing the CoC process into law without being overly prescriptive to ensure that local agencies serving all homeless populations must participate in the CoC, the Act also allows CoC’s to prioritize particular housing and services initiatives based on demonstrated need in their communities and does not codify a definition of “chronic homelessness” or a set of incentives designed to end “chronic homelessness” in that communities wishing to prioritize housing and services for homeless persons living on the streets are free to target dollars to that population. 

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED That the Board of Education for Special School District #1, Minneapolis School Board strongly endorses the HEARTH Act 2007, HR 840, to more closely align the HUD definition of homelessness with that of the U.S. Department of Education, strengthen the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance programs and expand resources for emergency shelter and supportive services that serve children and youth and their families, provide a framework for greater homeless prevention activity and allow communities the flexibility to implement a range of housing solutions that best meet the needs of children, youth and their families.

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Pam Costain, Chairperson                        Date

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Lydia Lee, Clerk                        Date