March 3 briefing gives Heading Home Minnesota Funders Collaborative members real-time information to help develop strategies for ending homelessness.
The scope of Minnesota’s homelessness epidemic can be overwhelming. Last year, 300 school districts identified some 9,500 students who were experiencing housing instability. Their situations are varied and complex, and the systems they navigate even more so.
But each one of those 9,500 young people share a simple, satiable need: a safe place to call home.
A core goal of the Heading Home Minnesota Funders Collaborative is for grantmakers and practitioners to collaborate, align systems, and eliminate barriers for families seeking stable housing. But that goal starts with understanding the layered needs and challenges at play. A free briefing hosted at the McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis on March 3—Stable Housing for Minnesota’s K-12 Students: Exploring Strategies to Scale—gave members a unique face-to-face learning experience with that core goal in mind.
Representatives from key state agencies gave current and potential partners a deeper understanding of the issue of homelessness.
Presenters included:
Mary Tingerthal, Commissioner, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
Charlene Briner, Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Education
Dr. Ann Masten, Regents Professor, Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, University of Minnesota
Mikkel Beckmen, Director, Minneapolis/Hennepin County Office to End Homelessness
Cathy ten Broeke, Director, Minnesota Office to Prevent and End Homelesness
Robin Black, Navigator, Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood
Melissa Brandt, Homeless Liaison, Rochester Public Schools
The speakers shared their observations and best-practices, and then the group was given opportunities to discuss the information and explore potential giving strategies together.
The event was the first of a series of regular, free briefings that will be led by the Heading Home Minnesota Funders Collaborative. For information on future events like the March 3 briefing, subscribe to periodic e-mail updates below.
