Simpson Housing Services is a proud partner on an exciting new project for formerly homeless young residents of Hennepin County. On July 12, Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative began construction on 66 West, a new, 39-unit property specifically for transition age young people, ages 16-24, experiencing homelessness. Simpson will partner with Beacon and provide support services, helping unaccompanied, young adults achieve their educational and employment goals.
66 West is the first supportive housing development for suburban youth in Hennepin County. In Minnesota, young people 16-24 are a growing population in the homeless community. The 2015 Wilder Research Survey indicates young people, age 24 or younger, are the most likely to be homeless.
Simpson will adapt current service models to better meet the needs of homeless youth. Simpson Housing’s Director of Programs, Wendy Wiegmann says as the organization has grown, this is a natural extension of services. “For many years we have been developing our capacity to serve young adults. We are excited at the possibilities of working with a group of young people that have so much potential not only for themselves, but for the community,” Wendy says.
Because the future 66 West residents are transition age they will likely not need long-term support, instead would benefit from working with a Supportive Housing Advocate to stabilize their lives. Four staff will be on-site, each with a specialty area of focus including employment, life skills and leadership, health, and education. Advocates will also work with businesses in the surrounding area to build connections for employment.
66 West will be just one of 15 housing developments and over 100 individual residences across the Twin Cities metro area where Simpson supports 300 individuals and families.
What is “Supportive Housing”?
Supportive housing combines safe, affordable housing with case management designed to help individuals and families live more stable lives. Supportive housing services range in intensity and duration, but can include employment services, connections to physical and mental health care providers, educational support for children, and referrals to other community-based resources.
At Simpson, Supportive Housing Advocates partner with program participants, providing on-going support. The overall goal of supportive housing is to break the cycle of homelessness by ensuring housing stability and integration into the community. The average caseload for an Advocate is 14 individuals or families; in order to provide the depth of service needed at 66 West, the average caseload will be 10 individuals.
Simpson’s Executive Director, Steve Horsfield advocates for its impact, saying, “Supportive Housing is an investment from the community in solving homelessness.” And it’s a wise investment. A 2014 study by the Corporation for Supportive Housing reports for every $1 spent on supportive housing, $1.44 is returned to the community and supportive housing saves communities from spending on emergency shelter and hospital visits.
“Simpson is honored to work with Beacon on this project. We value our partnership and shared commitment to ending homelessness through dignified housing solutions,” Horsfield says.