Mayor Norton selected for state task force on homelessness
Rochester Mayor Kim Norton has been appointed to a new state task force on shelter and homelessness.
The task force is part of the 2021 Housing Omnibus bill passed into law during the most recent legislative session. Members include shelter providers, advocates, and members of the public.
The group, according to a news release, will meet for one year to:
… develop two reports to help develop standards for the provision of shelter and examine the need for, and feasibility and cost of, establishing state oversight of shelter.
In addition, the group is also required to make recommendations to the legislature regarding standards that will strengthen the shelter system and help ensure that shelters have the ability and resources to provide safe and appropriate shelter services to those in need.
The task force will submit an initial report to the Legislature by February 2022, and final report no later than August 31, 2022.
The meetings will be open to the public, beginning with a virtual meeting on August 16 from 2 to 4 p.m.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve in this capacity,” Norton said in the announcement. “The topic of shelter and providing appropriate options and services for our community’s vulnerable, unsheltered population has been an important focus for me since I took office. I look forward to sharing what we have learned, and continue to learn, in Rochester and am eager to see Minnesota strengthen services in this area.”
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