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Human Services outlines priorities for 2026 budget as rental assistance and Medicaid changes loom
Summary
Human Services Director Kerri Benz told commissioners the department is building a flexible budget for 2026, citing potential loss of grants, continued rental-assistance demand, the 'Just Home' pilot, and uncertainty about future Medicaid eligibility as primary budget pressures.
Kerri Benz, director of the Minnehaha County Human Services Department, told the County Board of Commissioners on May 6 that the department is preparing a flexible FY2026 budget to respond to evolving community needs, the impending close of several federal and local grant programs and continued pressure on rental-assistance and hospital expense line items.
Benz said the department has not operated on a “county-dependent” budget for about five years because of ARPA funds, South Dakota Cares, and other grants that temporarily supplemented operations. “We really wanted to try to build a flexible budget…that can accommodate the changing and ever evolving needs in the community,” she said, describing staff cross‑training, professional development plans, and efforts to streamline…
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