About two years ago, Star Russell and her kids were facing homelessness. Looking to escape the family’s unsafe living conditions, Star searched for new housing that could accommodate her family with five children at home. After months of searching, Star struggled to find anything she could afford. For the next nine months, Star and her kids lived with friends and at hotels.

“That period of time when we were homeless was very stressful,” said Star Russell, a Stable Homes Stable Schools participant. “My kids are much calmer than they were before we got into the program.”

Bouncing between friends’ homes and hotels, the Russell family was craving stability and a place to call their own. That’s where Stable Homes Stable Schools (SHSS) stepped in. Aware of the Russell family’s housing insecurity, staff from Star’s daughter’s school connected the family with the SHSS housing placement and support program. The program offers multi-year rental assistance and wraparound social services to help families escape or avoid homelessness.

In November 2025, the family moved into a duplex that could accommodate her large family while remaining affordable through the SHSS program. The family enjoys the fact that the neighborhood is much quieter and the home feels safe.

“I really don’t know what I would have done without the program,” said Star. “[Stable Homes Stable Schools] really helped me and my family.”

Since entering their new home, the constant stress of worrying about where they were sleeping at night has given way to hope for the future. Now, with a calmer home life, the kids can focus on just being kids and are looking forward to enjoying summer. And with her kids settled, Star has begun looking for work to help get her family back stabilized and back on track.

Stable Homes Stable Schools is a pioneering partnership between MPHA, the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and MPS, along with the YMCA of the North as the service partner, working to reduce homelessness among families with elementary-aged kids in Minneapolis and improve immediate and long-term educational outcomes for students impacted by housing instability. The program is a holistic approach to addressing homelessness through prevention (emergency short- and medium-term assistance) and intervention (multi-year rental assistance and support services).

Since 2019, more than 7,500* kids and 2,700* families—just like the Russell family—have benefited from the program.

*As of March 31, 2026