Metro Mobility patrons ride for free

Any Metro Mobility certified rider can ride regular route transit for free through December 31, 2024 on any of the following services: Metro Transit bus, bus rapid transit, light rail and commuter rail; Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, SouthWest Transit, Maple Grove Transit and Plymouth Metrolink.

Metro Mobility riders will continue to pay for Metro Mobility rides as outlined on the Metro Mobility web page. The free fare pilot does not apply to any on-demand service including, Transit Link, Metro Transit micro, Maple Grove My Ride, MVTA Connect, Plymouth Click-and-Ride, or SW Prime.

When entering a bus, Metro Mobility should simply show the Metro Mobility ID card, or government issued ID card with A endorsement, to the bus operator and take a seat.

Do not tap the Metro Mobility ID card on the Go-To Card reader when boarding a bus or are at a METRO or Northstar ticket machine.

On METRO lines, be prepared to show the Metro Mobility ID card, or government issued ID card with A endorsement, as proof of payment if asked.

When transferring to another bus, riders will need to show the ID card again. Riders transferring to a Metro Mobility bus will still need to pay the regular fare on the Metro Mobility bus.

Anyone with questions can contact Metro Mobility service center Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 651-602-1111, TTY 651-221-9886, or metromobility@metc.state.mn.us

DHS split is coming

Minnesota's largest and mostscrutinized state agency will be split up in the coming years as the result of legislative action meant to reduce bureaucracy and costly errors. the Minnesota Department of Human Services' massive Direct Care and Treatment division will spin off into its own agency and take its roughly 5,000 employees with it. Additionally, a new Department of Children, Youth and Families created by the Legislature this year will take more employees away from DHS.

State lawmakers talked for years about breaking up the DHS, their discussions intensifying after the agency made a string of costly financial mistakes and received scathing reviews from the state's legislative auditor. Some felt that the agency, which has more than 7,000 employees and an annual budget that exceeds $20 billion, was too large to effectively manage.

DHS serves more than 1.5 million Minnesotans, including the state's most vulnerable populations, through a vast array of programs.

“As we've talked about whether or not DHS it too big and should it be separated, I've come to realize that it would probably be an advantage to have a smaller agency,” said DHS Commissioner Jodi Harpstead.

The creation of the new Department of Direct Care and Treatment takes effect Jan. 1, 2025.

Senate Human Services Committee chairman John Hoffman (DFLChamplin), said he believes both the DHS and the new Department of Direct Care and Treatment will benefit from the separation by becoming more “nimble” and focused on their own operations.

Republican Sen. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka), who also supported the separation, struck a more skeptical tone about whether the split will improve stewardship of taxpayer funds.

“It's the governor's influence on all his departments, and by virtue of the commissioners he chooses, that really decides the outcomes of any department,” said Abeler. “I think merely rearranging some of the duties may have a huge effect or it may be minimal. It's still all up to the administration to make it work.”

The Direct Care and Treatment division currently within DHS operates a specialized behavioral health care system that includes psychiatric hospitals, substance abuse treatment facilities, group homes for people with disabilities and sex offender treatment facilities. That system is comparable in size to the CentraCare health care system in greater Minnesota, according to Harpstead.

Once separated, Harpstead said the new Department of Direct Care and Treatment will look much more like a hospital system with a CEO reporting to a board. Marshall Smith, the current CEO of the division, will stay on to lead the department.

The Department of Human Services

(Source: Metro Mobility) and the Direct Care and Treatment agency will keep their respective employees, Harpstead said.

(Source: Star Tribune) Dungarvin takes over companies

The Dungarvin organization, a group of companies providing community-based services for people with disabilities in 15 states, has announced a deal to acquire Bridges MN, Rumi and Bridges WI. Effective September 1, the agreement is the organization's largest-ever acquisition including the purchase of 103 traditional group home settings in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as a variety of other community-based services in Minnesota that will support over 400 individuals.

The purchase agreement specifies that close to 1,000 Bridges employees will be invited to become part of the Dungarvin team ensuring the continuity of care for people served.

“After several months of collaboration and planning, I am pleased to announce that Dungarvin will assume and operate substantially all of the services currently provided by Bridges MN, Rumi and Bridges WI,” said Dungarvin CEO Lori Kress. “We are committed to ensuring that the transition of services is as seamless as possible for the people receiving services, their families and the staff who support them. With a strong history of providing services in these states, we plan to work closely with all stakeholders and our regulatory partners to deliver the stability that these individuals and families deserve.”

Bridges has provided the required notice to individuals as well as their families and/or caregivers of their right to choose any provider licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Dungarvin has operated in Minnesota since 1976, and in Wisconsin since 1994.

(Source: Dungarvin)

Loophole in housing eyed Lawmakers want to close a loophole in state law that they said allowed a suburban city to shut down statelicensed group homes, effectively evicting individuals diagnosed with mental illnesses and other disabilities.

The City of New Hope revoked the rental licenses of two group homes last year for “disorderly behavior” violations even though the care facilities were regulated by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Lawmakers, mental health advocates and experts on housing and disability laws decried the tactic..

The city defended its enforcement of the rental ordinance, which recently survived a legal challenge.

But Sen. John Hoffman (DFLChamplin) said the city exploited a “loophole” that could create a slippery slope for people with disabilities.

Hoffman will hold a hearing on a bill this summer that he said would require cities to follow clear guidelines before taking any action against a state-licensed care facility.

Under the legislation, a city would first need to notify state agencies that license and regulate the facility. The bill specifies that the city must also alert “interested parties” who are responsible for the care of the individuals who would be affected by the closure.

“What we’re trying to do here is protecting the rights of an individual with a disability to live and be in the community,” Hoffman said in a recent interview with KSTP-TV.

City leaders argued they needed to revoke the rental licenses from the two care facilities to protect the safety of the residents and the surrounding community. They pointed to neighbor complaints and the number of times police were called to those locations.

The group home provider filed a discrimination lawsuit against the city of New Hope earlier this year. But a Hennepin County District Court judge dismissed the case, which is sparking the ush for a change in statue.

(Source: KSTP-TV)

Residents face uncertain future

In Bemidji, 47 tenants were recently evacuated from a federally subsidized apartment building that inspectors feared could be headed toward catastrophic structural failure. Two dozen former tenants were in hotels as of mid-July. Others are temporarily staying with family or waiting for assisted living beds.

The northern Minnesota city, in one of the state's poorest counties, has a debilitating shortage of affordable housing. The situation with Red Pine Estates, a three-story privately owned property where the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a rental assistance payment contract, sheds light on a number of issues affecting poor, older or disabled Minnesotans.

One is the much-discussed statewide shortage of affordable housing. The state has a 100,000-unit supply gap of homes affordable to lower-income Minnesotans. One community development specialist in Bemidji cited a recent study that showed the city of 15,000 is short 900 affordable units.

Then there's the ambiguous regulatory positioning of the building — eldercare advocates have been pushing for state Health Department oversight on similar buildings since a 2019 law established a statewide assisted-living licensure program.

The majority of residents at Red Pine Estates are elderly, disabled or both. Though it's an independent-living complex, many receive home health care with regular visits from personal-care assistants. Because it's not an assistedliving building, it is not regulated by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Amanda Vickstrom, executive director of the Minnesota Elder Justice Center, has been among a group of advocates saying properties like Red Pine Estates ought to be regulated as assisted-living facilities. Property owners have resisted those extra regulations, which could mean more frequent inspections and guidelines for planned or emergency closures that would provide extra support for tenants.

Jennifer Ho, commissioner of Minnesota Housing, the state's housing finance agency, said situations like the one in Bemidji illuminate the blurry line between two regulatory environments.

“The housing universe and the healthcare universe are two separate universes that collide,” Ho said. “They're not governed or managed as things that intersect. The health-care system doesn't have a great track record on managing people's housing.”

In a statement, the property management company, Twin Cities-based Schuett Cos., called the building's issues and the sudden evacuation unique, saying structural integrity concerns stemmed from building components blocked from view by things like drywall and ceilings.

In a statement, Schuett Cos. said representatives have been working "around the clock" to help and they're optimistic all residents will find long-term housing soon.

(Source: Star Tribune)