Minnesota Homeless Fund
EVERY MINNESOTAN DESERVES A SAFE, WARM PLACE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, BUT ON ANY GIVEN WINTER NIGHT, MORE THAN 1,600 PEOPLE SLEEP OUTSIDE.
The Walz-Flanagan Administration issued a call-to-action to bring more people inside, launching the Minnesota Winter Homeless Initiative.
In response, the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation set up the Minnesota Homeless Fund to assemble resources from philanthropy, corporate donors and public entities. The fund provided nimble funding for crisis response, shelter and low-barrier affordable housing across the state.
Our Impact
The Minnesota Winter Homeless Initiative received 79 proposals for projects that are rapidly expanding shelter and outreach capacity across the state. The Advisory committee reviewed the proposals and recommended a total of $2.6 million to fund 25 of those proposals around the state. The committed funds added 240 nightly shelter beds in the Twin Cities metro area and 98 in Greater Minnesota, together sheltering hundreds of people through the winter.
Organizations added shelter beds and expanded outreach capacity. In addition, funds went to transportation assistance in rural areas to get people to shelter and financial assistance for immediate housing acquisition for unsheltered people around the state.
Shelter expansions have been funded in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Scott, Carver and Washington counties, as well as Greater Minnesota communities like Grand Rapids, Virginia, Bemidji, Moorhead, International Falls, White Earth and others.
An Overwhelming Response
When the Minnesota Winter Homeless Initiative launched in December 2019, the response was rapid and impactful. Public, private and philanthropic partners answered the call, including:
- 3M
- Andersen Corporation
- Best Buy
- Blandin Foundation
- Bush Foundation
- Doran Companies
- Ecolab
- Frey Family Foundation
- General Mills
- Greater Minnesota Housing Fund
- Greater Twin Cities United Way
- Greg McNeely
- Metropolitan Council
- Minneapolis Foundation
- Northland Foundation
- Northwest Area Foundation
- Pohlad Family Foundation
- Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
- Rochester Area Foundation
- Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
- Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
- Securian Financial
- Target
- US Bank
- Wells Fargo
- Xcel Energy