Shelter hotline proves an agile resource for residents

What would you do if you didn’t have a place to sleep tonight? Who would you call?

For thousands of Hennepin County residents, the answer is the Hennepin Shelter Hotline, 612-204-8200.

Launched in January 2023, the service has become a valuable thread in the safety net to keep area residents off the streets and out of the shelter system. The hotline brings together Hennepin County’s shelter team, Catholic Charities Twin Cities, Adult Shelter Connect and other crisis lines with a shared goal of creating a single number for individuals and families facing a housing crisis. Instead of calling multiple services, the hotline offers one system with dedicated, compassionate, and creative support.

Lauren Schwerzler, a principal planning analyst in Hennepin County’s Office to End Homelessness, said prior to the hotline, residents faced a complex system with multiple numbers and organizations.

“We always listen to people with lived experience, so we had heard from folks that you know, it's really hard and confusing to access the system,” said Schwerzler.

With an influx of federal funding to support COVID-19 relief efforts, she said, the county had a unique opportunity. “Shelter diversion is a national best practice, so we really wanted to get it right,” said Schwerzler. “It was just this unique opportunity to improve the system. And it’s been more successful than we expected.”

Since starting in Hennepin County, Catholic Charities Twin Cities diversion navigators fielded more than 37,000 calls, helping individuals and families get through their housing crises with empathy and understanding. The essential work is listening, said Catholic Charities Program Director Alanna Hinz-Sweeney.

“Our staff is highly trained in listening and active listening mediation skills,” said Hinz-Sweeney. “It’s a creative conversation to help the caller just slow down that crisis and think about solutions and try to find immediate housing.” Diversion navigators listen closely and help callers identify all their housing options, helping them avoid a shelter if possible. 

“Callers may not realize that they have another option outside of a shelter, so we offer that sounding board,” said Hinz-Sweeney. “The really cool thing is that this is all client-driven, and so the person gets to decide what's the best for them—they know what's safe for them.”

Diversion navigators can help callers take the next step, too. For instance, a caller who mentions a sister or family member in their call could have some shame about their situation or might be thinking about a past argument. “We’ll say, ‘Would you want us to call and talk to them? Do you want to get help to mediate that conversation?’” said Hinz-Sweeney.

Once the immediate crisis is resolved, Catholic Charities can also help callers find long-term, stable housing via partnerships with landlords, and limited financial support such as a security deposit, grocery cards, or transportation assistance.

“Catholic Charities has done an incredible job connecting with community partners and facilitating that, and they've also connected with housing providers to make sure that they are able to divert more people by having that resource in their back pocket,” said Schwerzler.

She noted the flexibility as a real improvement and offered more novel solutions for residents facing a housing crisis beyond finding a place to stay—something that didn’t fit the prior model.

“Maybe all the resident needed was a bus ticket to get back to their house or to their parents in a different state or county. Before this, it was actually really hard to find funding to do that,” said Schwerzler. “People would get stuck here because the system wasn’t flexible. So, to be able to call this number and have them facilitate that so smoothly and easily has been helpful not only for the people calling, but just all the other components of our system.”

So far, the program helped thousands of people find safe alternatives to shelter. In all, 80 percent of callers don’t call back because they found an alternative to shelter or long-term housing. Through 2023, the hotline diverted 872 individuals and 441 families from the shelter system. Through March of 2024, 285 individuals and 179 families found alternatives to shelter via the Hennepin Shelter Hotline.

All those residents who didn’t enter the shelter system found more stable housing or accommodations because of the hotline, retaining the essential shelter space for others without alternatives.

“It’s another tool in the toolbox for people, and we know that it's cost effective,” said Hinz-Sweeney. “Shelters are crucial—they’re lifesaving, but also when you get in that system, it can be really hard to get out. So, if we can help someone not enter the system, that’s important, and diversion also helps reduce the turnaway at shelters.”

As the program continues, she said, the Hennepin Shelter Hotline will continue to evolve to meet the needs of residents facing a housing crisis. That, Hinz-Sweeney said, is one of the most unique aspects of the hotline.

“This service is flexible which is something that's kind of rare, I think, and we also then get to bring many resources and organizations together,” said Hinz-Sweeney. “You have this great team approach with each other, which has proven to be exceptionally adaptable and effective for people.”

Learn more about the service at Hennepin County’s Homelessness Resources page.