On Monday, December 16, The Northeast Minnesota Continuum of Care (NECoC) and The Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA) held a one-hour community input session on Zoom to identify challenges, opportunities, and priorities for housing and homeless assistance in Cook County.
Data on homelessness in Cook County is limited, and the moderators believe what is available doesn’t capture the true story of housing needs here.
Minnesota’s 2024 Annual Homeless Point-in-Time Count (PIT) survey was held on January 24, 2024. The count found that more than 9,000 people were experiencing homelessness in Minnesota on that night. The PIT is a yearly count conducted by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to track homelessness trends and evaluate changes over time. The count is a communitywide effort that involves outreach teams surveying individuals and families. The PIT count includes a Housing Inventory Count (HIC), which counts the number of beds available for people experiencing homelessness.
This year’s PIT count showed just one person experiencing homelessness in Cook County that night. The moderators believe the problem of homelessness and pending homelessness is underreported.
About a dozen people attended the session and offered commentary in answer to the questions raised for input.
Specifically, NE CoC and AEOA wanted feedback on what attendees saw as the most pressing housing challenges in Cook County, particularly for individuals and families at risk of homelessness. Identifying which populations are most underserved by housing and homelessness services. And provide input on where they may improve programs to better meet the community’s needs.
Interestingly, they wanted to know what culturally specific services or resources would meet the unique needs of Cook County’s populations.
The intent is to use the input from people who live here to develop and coordinate services that would best serve Cook County residents.
NECoC is a broad coalition of community residents and organizations working together to end homelessness in Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, and Lake Counties.
You may find further information online at neminnesotacontinuumofcare.org. The co-coordinators for this session are Cara Oakland and Patty Beech-Dziuk, and you may reach them at 218-525-4957. Andrea Tofte, a public health educator at the Cook County Department of Public Health and Human Services, also attended the session. She is a good resource for Cook County residents facing difficulties with housing and can be reached at 218-387-3000.
