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As a Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) provider in southern Minnesota, I feel compelled to speak up in light of the recent reports of fraud within the program (“State cuts payments as it seeks out fraud,” front page, July 29). While the coverage has insinuated that a majority of providers in the program are fraudulent, it has failed to highlight the incredible impact that many providers are able to have in their communities. [Opinion editor’s note: On Friday, the Minnesota Department of Human Services announced it is seeking to terminate Housing Stabilization Services. The agency said it intends to redesign and relaunch the program.]
I launched my business in summer 2023, but my commitment to affordable, sustainable housing began long before that. In college, I worked as a leasing agent for market-rate apartments. After graduation, I managed a supportive housing complex in downtown Minneapolis serving the long-term homeless population. Later, I spent a decade as a county case manager for people with disabilities, where I saw firsthand just how overwhelming it is for people with barriers to find stable housing.
That’s what led me to HSS. After navigating a complicated and often unclear licensing process with the Department of Human Services, I started my own agency. I was excited. I believed in the mission. I believed I could do this work well and ethically. I started small and gradually built up to supporting 25 to 30 clients at a time. Most referrals came from county social workers and case managers. I made connections with clients, built relationships in the community and found people homes. I hired staff with diverse backgrounds who were just as passionate as I was. In 2024 we helped 24 individuals move into their own homes. We currently are working with more than 100 individuals and are expecting to double the moves we did in 2024 this year.
But while my business grew, my experience with DHS deteriorated.
Approval times ballooned to over four months, which meant working (or paying staff to work) without reimbursement. I didn’t turn clients away; I believed the work was too important. Eventually I would be reimbursed in most cases, but a few slipped through due to minor clerical errors. I chalked it up to the cost of doing business. Even more frustrating was the lack of communication. Policy questions to DHS went unanswered. I’d follow up multiple times, often with no reply. Webinars had the chat function disabled, effectively cutting off any real-time feedback from providers.
Now, with news of widespread fraud, I am left angry and disheartened. Not only because it erodes trust in a program meant to serve people in crisis, but because it shows how unsupported providers like me have been all along. If there had been real oversight, real partnership, perhaps the fraud would’ve been caught sooner. Perhaps the real providers wouldn’t be stuck waiting months for approvals or be expected to operate in the dark.
