Why The Residency?

SHINING A LIGHT ON INVISIBLE HOMELESSNESS

Minnesota has strong programs and committed public servants, but agencies are siloed by design, and families experience the consequences:

  • Families face a patchwork of county and city systems, with limited support for preventing homelessness early, especially prenatal through age 3.

  • Practitioners see what works, but the system lacks feedback loops to capture those lessons and influence policy.

  • Children under age 5 face the highest risk of eviction of any age group in America, yet most prevention programs don't include them.

  • Nearly 1 in 3 youth experiencing homelessness has spent time in foster care, yet foster care is rarely treated as a homelessness prevention issue.

  • Pregnancy is a critical window for homelessness prevention: Pregnancy and parenthood are risk factors, with eviction risk peaking in the second and third trimesters, when housing instability can also harm infant health.

EARLY HOMELESSNESS DOESN'T STAY EARLY

Wilder's Minnesota Homeless Study found that 77% of homeless adults had experienced homelessness multiple times, and many reported repeated homelessness beginning at an early age. It also found that adverse childhood experiences hasten entry into homelessness. 

The cost of inaction is staggering. Foldes Consulting estimated the lifetime cost to Minnesota taxpayers and society of a single cohort of 1,451 young people experiencing homelessness at $360 million, roughly a quarter of a million dollars per young person. Intervening early and coordinating the systems around families is dramatically cheaper than paying for the consequences later. That's where The Residency comes in.

OUR TWO-YEAR GOAL

Establish clear statewide accountability for family homelessness and strengthen cross-sector coordination to identify and support families before they lose housing, starting with the children most likely to be missed.