Bridges Rental Assistance Program

Lakes & Pines Community Action Council, Inc. (Lakes & Pines) administers the Bridges Rental Assistance program for people with serious mental illness in Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and Pine counties. To become part of the Bridges program you have to have a mental illness and you have to get a referral from a mental health provider. As there are a very limited number of Bridges vouchers available, a real-time opening process will be used.

Eligibility Requirements
Income limits are established each year by HUD. Eligibility for this program is determined as Very Low annual income. Households must have annual income that does not exceed 50% of the Area Median Income. Income limits are published by HUD at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il.html or applicants can contact Lakes and Pines to inquire about current income limits.

The head of household or another adult household member must have a serious mental illness as defined by the Minnesota Comprehensive Adult Mental Health Act.

Households must be eligible to receive a federal or other permanent housing subsidy and accept the subsidy when it is offered.

Real-Time Opening
When a voucher is projected to become available, Lakes & Pines will notify AMHI (Area Mental Health Initiative) and area providers, institutions, segregated settings, correctional facilities and Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Human and Family Services Departments that a real-time opening will be available to request referrals specifically for people who fit the Priority 1 definition.

Priority 1. People living in an institution, segregated setting, or under correctional supervision who will be homeless upon exit.
Priority 2. People experiencing homelessness who are assessed as high priority homeless through the Coordinated Entry system, including households of individuals, families with children, or youth (age 18+).
Priority 3. People who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness.

Lakes and Pines will issue a Certificate of Participation Statement of Participant Obligations (Bridges Form 6) to each eligible household when they are offered a rental subsidy. People meeting the Priority 1 definition are not required to be assessed by or referred from Coordinated Entry (CE).

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Priority Referrals