Status of funding requests
People Serving People had two bills before the Minnesota Legislature during the 2026 Legislative Session. They included:
- A $4.75 million funding request toward our $11.5 million Downtown Shelter Renovation project
- A $250,000 in one-time funding for our Pre-employment Program
Unfortunately, neither request was approved by lawmakers. (Our pre-employment funding did not pass, despite being included in the Senate Bill, because no major bill made it through Senate and House negotiations.) We bring our asks back again next year.
What’s next for families?
First and foremost, People Serving People won’t deviate from our housing-focused, trauma-responsive standards for families. And we know that bills often must be brought forward several times before they are funded. So, we will continue advocating on behalf of families whose voices are some of the most marginalized.
This also means that we can’t wait for the state to invest in the families we serve. We will still begin renovating our Downtown Shelter next year, but we will need to rescope our Downtown renovation project into two phases, which generally means it will be more expensive to undertake and will take longer to complete.
Better outcomes for families experiencing homelessness, beyond being the morally right thing to do, also mean better outcomes for all. Communities are strengthened. Children thrive. Resources are effectively used. Educational outcomes are improved, and the workforce and economy benefit.
You can help families by supporting our Powerful Families campaign, which includes funding for our Downtown Shelter renovation project. The experience of homelessness, no matter the circumstances or shelter, is a traumatic event for all families. When our Downtown Shelter was first converted from a vehicle storage facility to a family homeless shelter in 2002, we didn’t have the knowledge, experience, and information about trauma and homelessness to guide our renovation.
Now that we know better, we will do better by creating spaces that reduce stress and promote healing.
What you can do to support families
1. Lend your voice
Reach out to your elected leaders and let them know you live in their district, and you want to support our efforts next year.
2. Give of your time and talents
It takes all of us to make sure that families who are experiencing the crisis of homelessness have the support they need on their paths toward stability. Learn how you can volunteer with us!
3. Share your resources
Help us respond to the growing need for our services and move toward a community where every family has what they need to thrive, including child-friendly, healing spaces at our Downtown Shelter.
