HOMELESS FAMILIES

Who is being served in Hennepin County Shelter and surrounding

areas?

NUMBERS

• In Hennepin County we have the capacity to shelter approximately 350 families per night.

• We also have 125 rooms for overflow shelter.

County Shelter and Free ShelterHow does it work?

Hennepin County

Shelter

*People Serving People

99 rooms

*St. Anne’s Place

16 rooms

*The Drake Hotel

125 rooms

TOTAL: 240

Free Shelter

*Sharing &Caring Hands

100 apartments

*Families Moving Forward

10 Families

TOTAL: 110

Average Stay

• In 2011, the average county shelter stay was around 39.1 days.

• Mary’s Place (Sharing and Caring Hands), is a 30 day program

Who are we serving?

• In 2011, St. Anne’s Place served approximately 123 families, of which 213 were children.

• Children make up the majority of people in our family shelters in Hennepin County.

Young Mom’s

• Young mom’s make up about 30% of people in shelter.

• Services are limited for this population but young parent advocates are working to spread awareness.

What Poverty Does

• In 2011, 80% of all St. Anne’s Place families were unemployed.

• 32% had not completed High School

• 55% were dealing with a mental health issue

Where do people go?

• In 2011, only 49% of the St. Anne’s Place families went to their own apartment out of shelter.

• 30% went to stay with friends and family

Is it the economy?

• Even before the economy crashed, our shelters were full.

• More and more people are unable to afford housing.

Other Counties

• Ramsey County: 55 beds at Maplewood shelter, 40 beds in churches (Project Home).

• Dakota County: 22 family rooms at Dakota Woodlands

• Washington County: Some motel stays• Anoka County: 14 people per night at Family

Promise. (Church based)• Scott County: no shelter• Carver County: no shelter• Wright county: no shelter

What you can do

• Know your resources!!! More than ever, we are relying on networking and community programs to help our families.

• Join Heading Home Hennepin

• Don’t let your agency become an island!

• Work together!

A Portrait of Family Homelessness in America