Full funding to meet the need
People Serving People strongly supports the City of Minneapolis’ Stable Homes Stable Schools (SHSS) initiative and encourages the city to invest in its continued success. Families in our emergency shelters have relied on SHSS referrals as a vital pathway to exiting shelter into stable housing. SHSS’s focus on education as a pathway for interrupting the generational cycle of homelessness aligns with People Serving People’s efforts to support multi-generational family stability, and we are proud of the innovative work SHSS is doing.
Important facts about Stable Homes Stable Schools
To better understand our position on full funding, the following facts about Stable Homes Stable Schools provide context for the city’s budget decisions that impact housing stability for families:
- Stable Homes Stable Schools provides rental assistance and wrap-around support for families experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS).
- Students at all grade levels receive this assistance. To be referred, families must have at least one student in elementary school.
- Over the years, expansions have increased MPS’s ability to reach students in need of this support. Expansions have increased the referral rate from 10% of the total number of MPS elementary students experiencing homelessness to closer to 25%.
- Referrals are prioritized based on the academic and housing needs of the students.
- Families who don’t have at least one child in elementary school do not qualify for SHSS and need the support provided by Emergency Housing Voucher and other programs, so that no child has to go without safe and stable housing in Minneapolis.
- Family shelter numbers in Hennepin County are at 200% of their current capacity. SHSS referrals are critical to providing safe and stable housing before they need emergency shelter.
- Emergency Housing Vouchers provide another vital source of affordable housing for families and single adults. With shelter numbers at this level, we can’t afford to lose any options for families.
People Serving People is deeply concerned about the current funding levels for SHSS and the loss of Emergency Housing Vouchers in the current City of Minneapolis budget. At a time when families are facing cuts to life-saving services, we cannot afford to decrease opportunities for homelessness prevention and housing stability. We have asked the mayor’s office and city council to instead fully fund both Stable Homes Stable Schools and Emergency Housing Vouchers.
