A little over a year ago, Jennifer Albert brought her family to Minneapolis to make a better life for her four kids. Leaving behind a small town in Louisiana, she was happy to find Minneapolis offered free family-friendly activities and the foundation to give more to her kids than she had growing up.
Jennifer and her kids moved in with her sister’s family. But the living arrangements were temporary and she needed to find an affordable long-term housing solution that could accommodate her kids better.
“I came here trying to find a better start.” said Jennifer Albert, a Stable Homes Stable Schools participant. “I want more for my kids than I had. […] I am grateful for getting into the program.”
Needing help to get her footing here in Minneapolis, Jennifer reached out to the counselor at her daughters’ elementary school, Nellie Stone Johnson. The counselor helped Jennifer apply for Stable Homes Stable Schools. And soon enough, Jennifer was apartment shopping with MPHA, using a housing choice voucher on the private market through the program’s housing placement and support assistance.
“This program really saved me,” said Jennifer. “It blessed me in a major way. It was such a big relief off my shoulders.”
Now, with the family’s housing stabilized, Jennifer can focus on finding a job and her kids can focus on school. Jennifer is determined to pass the necessary state testing for an insurance license. She is also learning how to manage her money better with rent being affordable and predictable. Seeing changes in her kid’s school performance and childhood development, Jennifer knows that the SHSS programming has changed her kids’ lives.
“I do see a lot of differences in my kids [since receiving help through the program],” said Jennifer. “I’ve seen my older daughter’s reading improving. My son’s development is better—he’s talking now. I have no doubt this has done wonders for myself and for my family.”
Stable Homes Stable Schools is a pioneering partnership between MPHA, the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), along with the YMCA of the North as the service partner, working to reduce homelessness among families with elementary-aged kids in Minneapolis. 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 7,300* kids and 2,600* families have benefited from the program.
More than 340* families like Jennifer’s have received multi-year rental assistance through SHSS’ housing placement and support program. This multi-year rental assistance and wraparound services helps families escape or avoid homelessness and assists them in securing stable, long-term affordable housing. This includes housing search and tenant education to secure affordable housing in the private rental market.
Jennifer is grateful that SHSS exists for families like hers that need a little bit of help getting back on their feet. And with the city’s 2026 budget increasing annual funding to $3.6 million and including another $1.4 million in one-time funding, SHSS will be able to continue to support families for years to come.
*As of December 31, 2025
