Homeless & Out-of-home Placement

Investing in stable housing for young learners is proven to break the cycle of poverty, bringing long-term economic benefits to children and our communities.

Six to seven percent of MPS students experience homelessness in any given school year. This instability correlates with lower attendance rates, test scores and graduation rates. While we know that these students are resilient and many are rising above the odds every day; it is also critical that families find stability so our students can reach their full potential. Housing costs continue to outpace wage growth and there is a dramatic lack of affordable housing in Minneapolis. MPS is thrilled to be part of this initiative.

Stable Homes Stable Schools is an innovative, collaborative effort between the city, the housing authority, the county, and the public schools–with additional assistance from the Pohlad Family Foundation.

• The City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) jointly funds direct rental assistance to families of elementary students experiencing homelessness. MPHA administers the rental assistance with support from a contracted social service agency; YMCA of the North.
• Minneapolis Public Schools identifies eligible families and supports families in the referral process (schools listed below).
• Hennepin County provides essential support services to help families succeed.
• A grant from the Pohlad Family Foundation funds additional services targeted to families of students at risk of homelessness.

Elementary schools with the highest numbers of students experiencing homelessness have the full range of supports (Rental Assistance and Housing Stability). These include Anishinabe, Bancroft, Bethune, Bryn Mawr, Cityview, Ella Baker, Emerson, Folwell, Green Central, Hall, Hmong International, Jenny Lind, Loring, Lake Nokomis Keewaydin and Wenonah, Las Estrellas, Lucy Laney, Lyndale, Marcy, Nellie Stone Johnson, Pillsbury, Seward, Sullivan, Whittier and Webster.

These sites include more than 90% of all the elementary students in MPS identified as experiencing homelessness.

All MPS elementary schools have access to Housing Stability (homelessness prevention).

School social workers in these elementary schools refer families with current students to the program. Not all eligible families in those schools will be referred. Families will be referred based on availability and the requirements listed below.

Rental Assistance

To be referred for rental assistance, families must be currently homeless, defined as “lack(ing) a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence”, have household income near or below 30% of the Area Median Income and have at least one student enrolled at one of the 24 elementary schools. Priority will be given based on the family’s connection to the school (number of children enrolled and the number of years enrolled) and need. Need is assessed using educational and housing stability measures.

Housing Stability/Eviction Prevention

To be referred for housing stability funds families must be currently housed and facing an eviction or threat to losing their housing OR be seeking one-time support to move into a home that they can afford without assistance. Eligible families must have at least one student enrolled in an MPS elementary school. Income limits apply. 

Families at one of the participating schools should contact their school social worker if they are in need of this support.

This initiative is focused on school stability, so we do not recommend transferring in the hopes of getting housing assistance. It is not likely that new transfers will be referred because families are prioritized in part by the length of time they have attended the school. There are not enough openings to serve every family experiencing homelessness.