Today, leaders from the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), and the YMCA of the North were joined by MPHA leaders and families to announce the expansion of the Stable Homes Stable Schools (SHSS) program for the 2023-2024 school year. With a new infusion of more than $4 million from the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, SHSS emergency assistance will be offered to all 43 MPS elementary schools and multi-year rental assistance will be expanded from 19 to 24 schools. Additionally, in the coming years, SHSS will aim to double the number of families served per year and increase program staff across the partner organizations.

The SHSS program works to improve families’ housing stability, students’ school attendance, and students’ educational outcomes through rental assistance and wrap-around supportive services. All told, 1,500 families have been supported by SHSS since its launch in 2019, with more than 4,200 children benefitting from the program.

“We are incredibly proud of the success of Stable Homes Stable Schools, and we look forward to supporting even more families in the coming years with safe, stable, affordable housing to help their children succeed in the classroom,” said Abdi Warsame, Executive Director/CEO of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “This nationally recognized, unique partnership can serve as model for other cities to leverage federal resources to help reduce housing instability for families with school-aged children.”

“This expansion is a historic investment in the future of our students,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “It’s no secret that investing in stable housing for our young learners can play a significant role in their academic success. If you have a safe and stable home while in elementary school, you’re more likely to graduate high school – and that’s something we want for all our Minneapolis students. I couldn’t be more excited about this expansion and the hundreds of lives impacted by it. Thank you to our partners from the City, County, MPHA, MPS, YMCA of the North, and the Pohlad Family Foundation for their incredible efforts on this.”

“Hennepin County is a proud supporter of Stable Homes Stable Schools,” said Irene Fernando, Chair of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners. “SHSS uses proven interventions and investments to stabilize families experiencing or nearing homelessness. By expanding this work, more Minneapolis students can stay in school, and the whole family can have a safe and dignified place to call home.”

“When students don’t need to worry about where they’re going to sleep at night, they can focus on learning, building relationships and having fun at school, all key things to set them up for success,” said Rochelle Cox, Interim Superintendent of MPS. “Stable Homes Stable Schools has provided much needed stability for our students and families, and I know I speak for everyone at MPS when I say we are thrilled the program will be expanded.”

In 2017, when the idea for SHSS was first being formed by MPHA staff, MPS was challenged with 8.2 percent of students experiencing homelessness. That year, leaders from various social service organizations came together to create the framework for an innovative partnership to identify and serve students’ families facing housing insecurity. Leaders knew safe and stable housing is the most significant out-of-school factor for predicting student success. Starting in 2019, the City of Minneapolis, MPHA, Hennepin County, and MPS forged a new partnership to create a wholistic approach to addressing student homelessness. The YMCA of the North joined the partnership as the program’s service provider soon thereafter.

To participate in SHSS, MPS social workers identify eligible families across the district, as defined as:

  • Lacking “a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence”;
  • Have at least one minor child enrolled in one of the participating Minneapolis Public Schools;
  • Have household income of 50 percent or below the Area Median Income (AMI);
  • Commit to certain program conditions (such as regular school attendance and parental involvement with school activities); and,
  • Meet certain conditions regarding criminal history.

Since 2019, SHSS has offered two tiers of support. The first tier is emergency one-time assistance to prevent homelessness, which could include back pay of rent, fixing a car needed to get to work, or other forms of assistance to keep families in their current housing. The second tier is multi-year rental assistance helping families escape or avoid homelessness and placing them into stable, long-term affordable housing.

However, with the new $2 million investment from Hennepin County’s Local Homeless Prevention fund, the program will now also provide multiple months of emergency assistance coupled with case management support for families that are housed but for whom one-time assistance is not adequate to address their instability.

The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority administers and funds 40 percent of the program’s direct rental assistance, with the City of Minneapolis funding the remaining 60 percent. Hennepin County and the YMCA provide essential support services to help families succeed. Additionally, the Pohlad Family Foundation provided initial grant support, awarded a $250,000 grant late last year to provide gap funding for SHSS’ highly successful Housing Stability Program, and more recently awarded the partnership a $300,000 two-year grant as a part of the foundation’s continued support of SHSS’s housing stability services.