The Mille Lacs Band Homelessness Planning Process Donald EubanksCommissioner, Health & Human Services

About the Mille Lacs Band

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Three Branches of Government

Executive Branch

Judicial Legislative Branch

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Separation of Powers

Chief Executive

Cabinet

Chief Justice2 Associate

Judges

Secretary Treasurer

3 District Representatives

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Funding

• The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, the Otto Bremer Foundation and the Minnesota Department of Human Services funded the plan

• The Band government taxes its business entities at 100%. Tax revenues enable us to provide programs and services which reduces the burden on other governments’ health care, human services, and education resources.

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Facilitation

• Don Eubanks served on the State of Minnesota Task Force that created the first Business Plan to End Homelessness

• Needed to have a good outside neutral facilitator to begin the planning process.

• Orientating the facilitation team was critical

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Stakeholders

• It was essential to start with buy-in from key stakeholders—elected officials, elders, commissioners, directors of various programs, tribal police• Don began talking to stakeholders for several

months laying the groundwork before meetings began. • Consultant met with stakeholders –individually

and with some groups such as elder boards, the school board, the housing board 7

Meeting Design• Two-day Retreat October 27-28, 2010 • Retreat Follow-up Meeting November 15, 2010• Stakeholder Interviews November 2010• Work Group half-day Meeting November 29, 2010• Work Group half-day Meeting December 15, 2010• Work Group Meeting (2hrs) January 17, 2010 • Chippewa Tribe Technical Assistance Conference

January 25-26, 2011 • Work Group Editing Committee ½ day Meeting March 4, 2011• Work Group Editing Committee ½ day Meeting April 4, 2011• Final plan submitted to Editing Committee April 11, 2011 • Final plan reviewed by Editing Committee April 15, 2011 • Plan presented to The Band Assembly for approval April 19, 2011

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Challenges, Barriers & Issues

• Distance & lack of transportation to housing, jobs and child care• Housing Policies—the way lists worked vs.

traditional housing patterns• Traditional values not part of federal policies• Obstacles created by allotment acts, the

Veterans Administration, boarding schools, urban relocation and exclusion from Federal Housing Authority(FHA 1934) and the GI Bill(1944) 9

Challenges, Barriers & Issues

• Tribal Government created silos which become barriers to effectively address homelessness• One of the major differences urban vs. rural, is

“doubling-up”• Low employment rates-average household income less

than 2/3 that of Minnesotans statewide ($29,377 compared to $47,111)• Shortage of affordable housing• Shortage of housing stock

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Ending Homelessness Mission Statement

• The Mille Lacs Band’s government and Band members commit to provide communities that are safe, with affordable housing where all members are treated with care, dignity and respect.

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Ending Homelessness Vision Statement

• All Mille Lacs Band members will have access to safe, stable place to call home and the independent means to take pride in and maintain that home. No one should experience homelessness and everyone should be able to acquire the education, life and work skills to become self-reliant.

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Ending Homelessness Values Statement

• The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe commit to work collaboratively with the Ojibwe values of caring for others, sharing resources, and respecting traditions to reduce chronic homelessness and dependency. We will work together with honesty, respect, compassion and humility to provide safe homes, to instill dignity and pride in all living environments, and build trust through meaningful community involvement. We will operate with courage to support each other without judgment and to honor everyone’s contribution.

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7 Goals To End Homelessness• Provide a safe, affordable range of housing that is specific to

individual and family needs and is culturally relevant.• Establish emergency shelters and services• Create and sustain effective policies and practices that promote

accountability, coordination, equitable distribution of resources and consistent eligibility requirements, using the Homelessness Values Statement to assess congruence between policies and key cultural values

• Improve communication between leaders and service providers as well as between departments and between services providers and Band members

• Commitment by formal and informal decision makers• Develop, align, coordinate and interpret programs serving homeless

persons• Create jobs to move Band members who are homeless or at risk for

homelessness to permanent housing.

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Recommendations• Create a Homelessness Commission – to serve as a working

group of senior decision makers appointed by the Chief Executive (including Health and Human Services, Administration, Housing and Education

• Create a Homelessness Work Group – to continue the current work group add stakeholders to implement the plan and advise the Homelessness Commission

• Hire a Full-Time Coordinator – to lead the Band’s efforts to end homelessness. The position would report to Housing and Health and Human Services and/or Administration

• Hire an External Evaluator – to track the progress of the plan, help decision makers implement course corrections as needed and provide transparency to the Band. This would be a consultant, not a full-time person.

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Recommendations con’t.• Continue Longitudinal Data Collection – to continue providing

longitudinal demographic information and comparison data with other tribes and statewide populations (partner with Wilder Research)

• Create Communication & Public Education Plans – to educate Band members and others about this plan as well as effective prevention and interventions for persons experiencing homelessness

• Finance the Plan – to provide necessary financial resources, submit grants to hire staff, build housing, create and maintain programs and other supports e.g. research, data gathering, education, training

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Contact Information

Donald R. Eubanks, CommissionerMille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Health and Human Services43500 Migizi DriveOnamia, MN 56359don.eubanks@millelacsband.com320-532-4163 extension 2503320-532-7495 (fax)

Web: millelacsband.com

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