Serving More Families
As homelessness rises, 211% more Hennepin County families are in need of shelter than one year ago
Swimming at the beach. Root beer floats. Laughter under the sun. These are the things that should be on kids’ minds this summer. But for a growing number of kids in our community, they are instead worrying about where they will sleep tonight.
More than 110 families in Hennepin County sought emergency shelter at the end of June, a 211% increase over last year. As federal rental assistance has ended and eviction protections have lapsed, more families are struggling to keep their housing—their homes. We are stepping up to support families during this crisis.
A smiling pre-teen with chalk-covered hands from climbing at Minneapolis Bouldering Project highlights a rainbow heart mosaic on the wall. Photo Credit: Michael Schram.
Our St. Anne’s Place emergency shelter is planning to serve nearly double the number of pregnant women and families this summer and fall. We will expand our capacity from 16 families to serve up to 30 under a contract with Hennepin County. This is a big lift for us, and we are actively working to hire more staff to meet the needs of families.
“The difference between this summer and last is dramatic. Many more families are in desperate need of shelter,” said Monica Nilsson, Executive Director. “Everyone deserves a safe and stable place to lay their head at night and Hennepin County asked us to meet this challenge for our community.”
We are in a unique position this summer operating St. Anne’s Place emergency shelter from a temporary location while our North Minneapolis building undergoes a renovation.
“If we weren’t in this temporary location, it would be very difficult to serve more families,” said Muriel Dorbor, Program Manager for St. Anne’s Place. “Our staff is working hard to help families find permanent, stable housing, while also keeping summer fun for the children here. From the playground to the zoo, to partner locations like the Minneapolis Bouldering Project, we get to see a lot of smiles.”
At Haven Housing, we are doing our job so that the kids we serve can do theirs— Smile. Laugh. And have a carefree summer. You can help support women and families this summer with a donation.