Dakota County partners with local agencies to provide resources for people experiencing housing instability in Dakota County.
Housing Vouchers
Dakota County Social Services does not distribute housing vouchers. The main sources for housing vouchers in Dakota County are the Dakota County Community Development Agency and the regional Coordinated Entry system.
Community Development Agency
The Community Development Agency has different programs to help with rent. Find out more on the
CDA's website.
Coordinated Entry
Coordinated Entry refers families and individuals experiencing homelessness to available resources. Dakota County is part of the Suburban Metro Area Continuum of Care (SMAC) and households need to complete a Coordinated Entry Assessment to be placed on their resource priority list.
The Dakota County Housing Resource Line cannot schedule or complete assessments. Specific eligibility for the assessment can be found on
SMAC's website but generally requires circumstances that include living in a place not meant for human habitation or residing in an emergency shelter.
If an individual believes that they meet these requirements, they should work with their housing case manager to complete a Coordinated Entry assessment. If they do not have a housing case manager but believe that they are eligible, then they can contact the following agencies:
Community Partnerships
Dakota County Social Services financially supports a variety of rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing programs in the community. These programs are accessed via Coordinated Entry and can be found on the
SMAC website.
Cahill Place, located in Inver Grove Heights, is an example of one of these resources. The video shows the important impact these programs have on people experiencing housing instability in Dakota County.
Housing Support Programs
Housing Support (formerly known as Group Residential Housing) is a program for people with disabilities and older adults who have low income. It can help pay for housing and other things that people need to maintain housing. To learn more about the Housing Support program, please watch the video.