The start of a new year is a time for reflection – on both the year past and the year to come. As we look back on 2022, we are so grateful for the support of our community. Because of you, we’ve been able to serve more families than ever.
Here are a few highlights from the year:
We served the highest number of people in our history, helping over 650 adults and children access affordable housing and holistic services through our homelessness prevention and supportive housing programs.
Our Home2Stay program, funded by a federal Emergency Solutions Grant, allowed us to provide prevention assistance and rapid re-housing services to 51 families – 155 adults and children – in Ramsey and Washington counties. Although this special, pandemic-related funding ended in September, its impact on the families we served lives on as they remain stably housed in their homes.
Our Homework Starts with Home (HSWH) partnership was expanded into four more Washington County school districts, allowing us to reach even more families. The expanded program accepts referrals directly from school districts and targets families and students who are homeless or unstably housed and identify as BIPOC or LGBTQI; these are two populations disproportionally impacted by homelessness. This commitment to “Targeted Universalism” allows us to move forward in our goals of housing justice for marginalized communities.
Our other scattered site housing programs, HomeAgain and HomeSafe, continued to house families with high barriers, such as histories of chronic homelessness, mental, chemical, and physical health disabilities, low/no income, and multiple evictions. With rental assistance and supportive services from Solid Ground, these families are successful in finding and sustaining their housing.
Our HomeFront program celebrated six years of providing permanent supportive housing to military veterans and their families. Some of today’s residents moved into their homes when HomeFront first opened in August 2016, showing the power of stable, affordable housing in a family’s life.
Solid Ground took on full ownership of the East Metro Place Apartments in White Bear Lake in 2022 and recently began a capital campaign to improve the building. A new single secure entry will increase safety at the building. Improvements to the program and office spaces will create a larger and more welcoming environment for kids and their parents, as well as allow us to work toward our goals of healing-centered engagement for families who have experienced significant trauma.
In addition to the renovations at East Metro Place, Solid Ground is planning other exciting projects. We are hopeful that a pending application to HUD for a new permanent supportive housing program will be funded. If so, Welcome Home Washington will bring 16 new units of scattered site, permanent supportive housing to disabled parents and children who have experienced chronic homelessness. There are very few permanent supportive housing options in Washington County, and this new program will bring new opportunities for families who need long-term housing and services.
None of this work would be possible without your generous support. Together, we will work until every family has a safe and affordable home, where parents and children thrive in school, work, and their community, and can fully realize their goals and dreams!