Office to End Homelessness

On any given night in Hennepin County, more than 3,000 men, women, children, and young adults are homeless. Homelessness is an expensive and unacceptable community problem. We can end it.

In 2006, the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County adopted a 10-year plan to end homelessness, entitled Heading Home Hennepin. This plan was developed by a commission of business and civic leaders, human service support agencies, advocates, and individuals who have experienced homelessness, and it has since garnered community-wide support. Part of a burgeoning national initiative, Heading Home Hennepin was created to address the continued cycle of homelessness and change the cultural paradigm from managing it to ending it.

Homelessness affects us all

• Homelessness negatively impacts the educational achievement of our future workforce.
• Homelessness negatively impacts community livability.
• Homelessness is expensive.
• Homelessness is traumatic for all who experience it.

Homelessness in Hennepin County

• Nearly half of all people experiencing homelessness in our community are children.
• From July 2007 through June 2008, roughly 5,500 children and young adults in the Minneapolis Public School system were identified as homeless
• Of all men experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis and Hennepin County, 25% percent are military veterans.
• One-third of all women in shelters with their children are victims of domestic violence.

Together, we can end homelessness

A comprehensive Heading Home Hennepin plan was established over 100 days during the summer of 2006 and is centered on six major goals and more than 50 action steps to achieve those goals. The plan's goals include:

• Prevention
  Keep people in their housing whenever possible and ensure that no one becomes homeless when they leave public institutions such as prisons, hospitals or foster care.
• Outreach
  Develop a comprehensive street outreach program to provide housing and resources to people sleeping outside.
• Housing
  Create housing opportunities for all individuals and families in need.
• Improve Service Delivery
  Increase access to services so people can obtain and remain in housing.
• Build Self-Support
  Assist individuals and families in building their personal income through employment, education, and benefits.
• System Improvements
  Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of service systems already in place.
  

In creating this plan, Hennepin County and Minneapolis have joined over 300 cities and communities nation-wide that have drafted and implemented similar plans. The community-oriented nature of the plan relies on the support of everyone in Hennepin County. To view the plan in detail and discover ways to be involved, please visit www.headinghomehennepin.org.

Project Homeless Connect

Heading Home Hennepin’s biannual flagship event is Project Homeless Connect. This one-day event brings together over 400 service providers and over 1,400 volunteers to help more than 1,500 individuals experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis and Hennepin County. At Project Homeless Connect, an individual can receive a hair cut, eat a gourmet lunch, apply for a birth certificate, interview with employers, apply for housing, receive medical and dental care, and more, all in one afternoon. To find out how you can be a part of our next event, please visit www.homelessconnectminneapolis.org.

Contact information

The Office to End Homelessness (OEH), a cross-departmental team of Hennepin County and Minneapolis employees, was established in concert with Heading Home Hennepin in order to coordinate the plan’s implementation. 

More Information

For more information on homelessness or on Hennepin County's efforts to end homelessness, see the links at the top right of this page or type "homeless" in the search box on the top right of the page.