Mayor, Council President and Local Leaders Celebrate Stable Homes Stable Schools

September 25, 2024
Community Planning & Economic Development

This fall marks the fifth year of the Stable Homes Stable Schools initiative, a program that provides housing or housing stability assistance to Minneapolis families and students experiencing homelessness. During a press conference at Pillsbury Elementary School, city, county, school and housing leaders announced more than 1,800 Minneapolis families representing 5,300 students have benefitted from the program.

“Stable Homes Stable Schools has been a game changer. It’s about more than just providing affordable housing – it's about giving families and students the stability they need to succeed,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “In just five years, this program has helped over 5,300 students in Minneapolis, creating stronger, more resilient communities. Students can focus on their education, not worrying about where they’ll sleep at night. We’re not just investing in housing – we're investing in the future of our kids and the future of Minneapolis.”

SHSS is a collaboration between the City of Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), and the YMCA of the North. The Pohlad Family Foundation provided initial grant funding and has consistently been the primary funder of the Housing Stability Fund.

“We believe stable housing is a basic human right, and all children and families deserve a safe place to call home,” said Susan Bass Roberts, Pohlad Family Foundation president. “No student should have to worry about where they’ll be sleeping at night. We are proud to support this program from its inception because when children have stable housing, they are far more likely to succeed in school and in life.”

This year, SHSS also saw an increase in “school stability.” That means the number of Minneapolis students enrolled in the program are more likely to stay in their same school for the academic year and make more connections with peers and teaching staff.

“Stable Homes Stable Schools not only has greatly improved students’ educational outcomes, it also has been a huge asset for our broader community,” said Council President Elliott Payne. “I’ve heard directly from participating property owners in my ward about how great the families are to have as tenants. This program has not only helped the students in my ward at Pillsbury, but our whole community has benefited by more families having stability and being able to be active members of our community.”

A Budget Priority

This news comes a month after Frey announced his budget priorities for 2025, including the More than 70 percent of families served through the program are single-parent households and approximately 90 percent are BIPOC families. MPS has four site-based staff that work directly with the elementary schools with highest levels of homelessness, one parent engagement lead, one manager and several school social workers. MPS Superintendent Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams says the funds are crucial considering nine percent of the MPS student population experienced housing instability in the last year.

“People may be surprised to learn that close to 10 percent of students in Minneapolis Public Schools experienced homelessness last school year – a staggering figure,” said Sayles-Adams. “We’re excited we are now able to provide homelessness prevention support at all of our elementary schools, and we’ve doubled the number of families referred for longer-term housing assistance and wrap-around services from 84 families each year to more than 170.”

"The Stable Homes Stable Schools program exemplifies the power of partnership, driven by a shared vision and unwavering commitment to supporting our community,” said Glen Gunderson, President and CEO of YMCA of the North. “This collaboration continues to expand in direct response to its positive impact, addressing the critical need for families to access resources to secure stable housing and ensure their children’s educational success. YMCA of the North is honored to be a partner in this transformative work."

Elements of SHSS

There are two types of rental assistance provided through the SHSS program:

  • The multi-year rental assistance program helps place and sustain families of elementary students experiencing homelessness into safe, stable, and permanent affordable housing. With the expansion, the 24 eligible schools are: Anishinabe Academy, Bancroft Elementary, Bethune Arts, Bryn Mawr Elementary, Cityview Elementary, Ella Baker Global Studies and Humanities, Emerson Dual Language, Folwell Elementary, Green Central Dual Language, Hall STEM Academy, Hmong International Academy, Jenny Lind Elementary, Lake Nokomis (Keewaydin & Wenonah), Las Estrellas Dual Language, Loring Elementary, Lucy Craft Laney Elementary, Lyndale Elementary, Marcy Arts, Nellie Stone Johnson Elementary, Pillsbury Elementary, Seward Montessori, Sullivan STEAM, Webster Elementary, Whittier Elementary
  • The Housing Stability Fund helps prevent homelessness by assisting families at risk of eviction or other loss of housing.
  • All 43 MPS elementary schools are eligible.
  • This is funded by Hennepin County’s investment in Local Homeless Prevention Aid and City of Minneapolis and Pohlad Family Foundation funding.

For families in immediate need of eviction prevention resources, please reach out to these current resources:

WATCH THE FULL NEWS CONFERENCE HERE.

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