Transitional Housing
	Permanent Supportive Housing
	Scattered-Site Permanent Housing
	Homeless Youth/Metro
	Youth Life Skills
	Phillips Park Initiative

LSS Housing Services
2414 Park Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612.871.0354
housing@lssmn.org

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) serves all people regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age.
 

  

Scattered-Site Permanent Housing

What is Scattered-Site Permanent Housing?
As the most independent of all LSS housing programs, Scattered-Site Permanent Housing (SSPH) supports families in both finding housing in the private market and accessing a permanent rental subsidy to make the unit affordable. LSS operates three SSPH programs: "It's All About the Kids" , the Rental Subsidy Program and Family Roots Alliance.

 

"It's All About the Kids"
In this particular SSPH model, It’s All About the Kids Collaborative (Kids Collaborative) serves families who are identified as homeless or long-term homeless; are in need of stable, affordable housing; and who have children that attend a participating Minneapolis Public School. In an effort to help kids remain and succeed in their current schools, staff at LSS work with families to find permanent rental housing in areas close to their children's school.

This particular model brings together a unique blend of community partners to accomplish this goal. The partnership includes LSS and the following entities:

• Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS): MPS staff identifies and refers families to LSS who may be eligible for the program.
• Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA): MPHA provides access to Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers and MPHA staff provides timely briefings and unit inspections.
• The City of Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED): CPED provides financial assistance for general operating costs as well as supplies information on licensed rental properties within the city of Minneapolis.
• The Minnesota Housing Agency provides additional subsidies to build capacity.
• Lutheran Social Service, Minnesota Housing, and Hennepin County as a partnership provide subsidies specifically dedicated to Long-Term Homeless families.

This is how our process works:

• School social workers from one of the participating Minneapolis Public Schools identify families who may benefit from obtaining permanent, affordable housing
• Using the Housing First approach, LSS supports and prepares the family to find housing by providing tenant education, housing search training, housing vacancies, case management and volunteer services.
• Once families find housing, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority or Minnesota Housing Agency provides a Housing Choice Voucher or rental subsidy to help make the housing affordable. LSS provides intensive case management support to families as they move into their new housing and begin to stabilize and connect to their new neighborhood.
• LSS also provides on-going support to owners who rent to these families. As valued members of our communities, we work with and respond to owners' needs and inquiries.

As we work with schools, families, property owners, volunteers, churches, government and social service agencies, we are achieving our mission of preventing and ending homelessness in a unique and empowering way.

Families interested in applying for the program should first speak with their school social worker to see if their children are attending a participating school.

 

Rental Subsidy Program
The Rental Subsidy program (RSP) began in 2005 and provides a tenant based housing subsidy for families exiting Transitional Housing programs. Each family is supported during their housing search and after housing has been obtained. Because they have been provided rental subsidies after leaving our programs, families are less likely to find themselves back in the traumatic and expensive homeless system.

RSP currently serves 10 homeless and 10 long-term homeless families. The program offers housing search and placement assistance as well as case management services.

 

Family Roots Alliance
The Family Roots Alliance represents the new collaboration of LSS Housing Services (LSS) and Simpson Housing Services (SHS) to address Minnesota’s initiative to end long-term homelessness. The program created the West Metro Mobile Support Team, which currently serves 30 long-term homeless families and will expand to serve an additional 30 families in the near future. The project service area includes Hennepin, Anoka, Carver, and Scott counties in Minnesota. Families will be placed into the housing of their choice, which may be scattered-site or site-based affordable housing.

The project goals are to provide stable housing and effective support services to long-term homeless families.

Supportive services will be provided to families for the purpose of emphasizing the well-being of adults and children and increasing skills to maintain permanent housing. Services may include:

• comprehensive assessments including psycho-social, chemical health, general health, and parenting
• housing placement
• training to assist participants in maintaining housing
• service coordination which could include: assessment, plan development, connection and coordination to services, monitoring and advocacy
• assistance with locating childcare
• family or individual therapy, including ARMHS
• parenting guidance
• after-school programming for children and youth
• emphasis on school attendance for children and youth
• job development, training and placement
• assistance with school, including GED or post-secondary options
• assistance with chemical health treatment and aftercare for those with chemical health issues
• community building
• peer support
• transportation assistance

These services may be provided directly or by arrangement with other service providers.