Public Policy
Advocacy

Expanding the definition of family

Hennepin County’s “Shelter All” policy guarantees shelter for families with children under 18 years old who are experiencing homelessness, and coordinates placements of families with our shelters (commonly referred to as “Coordinated Entry”). The Shelter All policy— the only one of its kind in the country—is commendable and serves as a beacon and model for other counties in Minnesota and throughout the nation. 

If people who live as a family become homeless together, they should be allowed to stay together to receive shelter and related housing services. 

Currently, however, the definition of family utilized by Hennepin County in practice often forces families to separate when they experience homelessness, adding unnecessary trauma and instability. Alternatively, families who cannot and do not want to separate, self-select out of seeking services, thereby artificially reducing the number of families reporting homelessness. 

Our proposal

We advocate for an expanded definition of family to be “anyone living together as a household, regardless of age.” This adjustment would allow the county’s practice to meet the policy’s intention. 

By including young adult children, extended family members, multigenerational families, and nontraditional family structures, we can keep families together and reduce harm during a crisis.

Childcare safety reform

People Serving People runs two early learning childcare facilities: the Center of Excellence and another at our Downtown Shelter. Access to high-quality early learning is crucial for families to thrive and achieve stability. We want to ensure that all children are safe and have the opportunity to flourish, which is why we aim to close a gap in the background check system for individuals working at childcare centers. 

The background check problem

Currently, there is a gap in the background check system for childcare center workers. While the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) requires background studies for childcare providers, these checks do not include checking alerts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC flags individuals in possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and shares this data with state and local law enforcement agencies. Because of this gap, individuals flagged by NCMEC may still be cleared to work with children by DHS.

The legislative solution

HF 2226 was introduced in Minnesota’s 94th Legislature (2025-2026) and was not enacted. This bill seeks to close the background check gap by requiring that all DHS background checks for licensed childcare providers include alerts from NCMEC. It further requires that if an alert is found, the individual will be temporarily suspended from working with children until an investigation is conducted and resolved, thereby enhancing safety and accountability in childcare settings.

Funding for much-needed shelter renovations

Our Downtown Shelter was originally constructed as a vehicle storage facility. When we converted it to a shelter in 2002, we did not anticipate the demand for shelter and did not yet know about trauma-informed design and its impacts on the well-being of our families and staff. As a result, the shelter lacks fundamental attributes that support our work and that would provide safe and welcoming spaces for our parents and their children. 

What is trauma-informed design?

Trauma-informed design focuses on creating spaces that reduce stress and promote healing. While such spaces are essential for all of us, parents and children experiencing homelessness need healthy and supportive spaces most of all.  Examples of how our spaces are inhospitable for our families:

• Our hallways are stark and institutional
• There is no outdoor space for families to gather
• There is no space where families can prepare and enjoy food and meals together
• The floors are old, rough, and unfriendly to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers
• There are insufficient gathering spaces indoors, forcing families to isolate in their rooms.

This project will cost approximately, $11.5 million.

Pursuing state funding

Our request for $4.75 million in funding, HF 205 and SF 948, was part of the 2025 bonding bill, but was not funded.