An Update from Executive Director Steve Horsfield
This year, an unprecedented number of community members are experiencing unsheltered homelessness, sleeping outside in encampments and other situations not intended for human habitation. These outdoor living situations grow increasingly unsafe as winter approaches.
Our staff and community leaders are very concerned about the current housing crisis and the safety of people in need of shelter. The Single Adult Shelter Collaborative — Simpson, Catholic Charities, The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, St. Stephen’s Human Services, and Our Savior’s Housing — in partnership with Hennepin County officials, has been feeling heightened pressure to maintain shelter operations during the pandemic and respond to the needs of people sleeping outside.
We have examined factors that are driving the alarming increase in unsheltered homelessness. We are steadfast in our efforts to develop safe and dignified temporary housing solutions and help people transition into safe shelter as quickly as possible.
There are a number of factors contributing to the increase in unsheltered homelessness:
- With the onset of COVID-19, some people are averse to shelter as they are more fearful of becoming infected within a congregate living situation.
- Some opportunities for more casual housing arrangements, such as sleeping at a friend or family member’s home, may no longer be an option as folks have grown more concerned about social distancing and COVID-19.
- There are some community members who have historically preferred not to go to the larger shelters for various reasons.
- The lack of affordable housing remains the driving factor in the housing crisis. Our communities are losing naturally occurring affordable housing as apartments are being purchased for renovation, forcing people out of historically affordable housing situations.
Many additional factors are at play, and I invite you to explore the complexities creating this dire situation for people in need of housing. To learn more, click here.
To address the growing need for temporary shelter, the Single Adult Shelter Collaborative and Hennepin County are working on projects that will add another 200 shelter beds to our shelter system by the end of 2020.
- Since the onset of COVID-19 in March, Simpson has operated its low-barrier shelter 24/7 — with social distancing and safety protocols — providing our guests with a safe space and temporary home. With your generous support and public funding, we are committed to 24/7 shelter operations through August 2022. We are grateful for each of our Simpson staff members for their dedication to the safety and well-being of our guests and participants. To learn more, click here.
- In September, Simpson added 20 new women’s shelter beds at our current shelter site to accommodate the increased need for housing and services for women experiencing homelessness. Hennepin County is generously funding the operating expenses for these additional beds.
- In the earliest stages of pandemic response, Hennepin County moved nearly 350 of the most vulnerable shelter guests to hotels. The County is committed to operating this model until all of the hotel guests are stably housed. To learn more, click here.
- Simpson is providing technical support in partnership with community partners at the Indoor Villages project, a new low-barrier model of crisis response that will provide 100 separate units for community members who are currently experiencing unsheltered homelessness. This 24/7 shelter offers individual living spaces and comprehensive services on site. To learn more, click here.
- We are honored to work alongside our Shelter Collaborative partners as they offer additional shelter options: The American Indian Community Development Corporation (AICDC) is building a new shelter which will serve 50 guests, and The Salvation Army will expand its capacity to provide 30 beds for women experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
To read Hennepin County’s press release about comprehensive efforts to increase shelter capacity, click here. To read the City of Minneapolis’ announcement about the increase in shelter spaces, click here.
I am pleased that Simpson is playing an important role in capacity building. Using our expertise and experience from nearly 40 years of shelter operations, we are working together to increase the number of shelter beds and develop our continuum of community housing solutions.
Simpson values our partnerships with the Shelter Collaborative, civic leaders, and generous people like you, for working with us in this critical work to end homelessness.
I will keep you updated in the weeks and months ahead. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at steve@simpsonhousing.org to have a conversation about our mission and how you would like to get more involved.
Thank you for your participation. We are in this together. Sincerely, Steve Horsfield Executive Director