The City of Bloomington is taking action to address an increased demand for rental assistance services. On Monday, January 26, the Bloomington City Council unanimously approved an allocation of up to $350,000 to support emergency rental assistance for Bloomington residents.
The funding comes from the City’s 2025 Local Affordable Housing Aid (LAHA), which are state-issued funds designated to support affordable housing projects. The funding is managed by the Bloomington Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and is mostly used for homeownership programs and multifamily development and redevelopment projects.
“State statute allows LAHA funds to be used for emergency rental assistance when there is a demonstrated community need,” said HRA Administrator Sarah Abe. “This allocation gives us the ability to respond quickly and help residents remain housed during a time of increased uncertainty.”
As an initial step, $50,000 has been allocated to Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP), a nonprofit organization that provides rental assistance, a food shelf and other basic needs services to residents. In the first two weeks of January alone, VEAP reported receiving 243 calls for financial assistance, 66 of which came from Bloomington residents.
The HRA will continue to assess community need and determine how additional funds should be allocated to other organizations serving Bloomington in the coming months.
Residents in need of emergency housing resources can visit blm.mn/hraresources.
For emergency rental assistance, contact VEAP directly at 952-888-9616
