SERVICES

Help for Families Experiencing Homelessness

Our Programs

Solid Ground provides Supportive Housing for families experiencing homelessness, or those at imminent risk of homelessness. Supportive housing combines affordable housing with services that help individuals– and the whole family– achieve housing and economic stability, advance their education, improve their health, and create community connections.

Our ‘Housing First’ philosophy works to move families into housing first, and then provides the holistic services essential to sustainability; while our prevention assistance keeps families stably housed, contributing to school success, family stability, and community vitality.

Prevention

Prevention Assistance is our largest area of growth that began in the summer of 2023. This program supports housing stability by keeping families from losing their current housing, providing emergency funds for past due rent, utilities, and/or assistance paying first month’s rent and deposit.

In 2024, the program served over 353 families (1,182 individuals).

Rapid Rehousing

Homework Starts with Home provides scattered-site transitional housing in Ramsey County. It is a collaboration with several partners and referrals are made by school social workers. This program moves students and their families experiencing homelessness into stable housing within their school districts or prevents their homelessness in the first place.

Families receive between six and 30 months of rental assistance and support services. This program targets students and families who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color (BIPOC) and/or as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, or Intersex (LGBTQI+).

In 2024, the program served 52 families (195 individuals).

HomeAgain provides scattered-site transitional housing in Washington County. Families receive an average of twelve months of rental assistance and support services.

In 2024, the program served 13 families (36 individuals).

Transitional Housing

HomeSafe provides scattered-site housing in Washington and suburban Ramsey Counties. Families receive monthly rental assistance, based on unit size, as well as supportive services for an average of twelve months.

In 2024, the program served 22 families (75 individuals).

East Metro Place I provides 20 units of transitional housing, located near Century College in White Bear Lake. All units receive project-based Section 8 rental assistance to make the housing affordable to families with very low incomes.

A wide array of supportive services are available to adults and children, including assessment, goal planning, advocacy, basic needs assistance, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, employment services, living skills training (parenting, budgeting, etc.), after-school tutoring and educational support.

In 2024, the program served 33 families (116 individuals).

Permanent Supportive Housing

East Metro Place II provides 14 units of permanent supportive housing, added in late 2005 to the White Bear Lake campus. Seven units are designated for homeless families with disabilities (typically mental illness and/or chemical dependency), and seven units serve families with histories of long-term homelessness.

As with the transitional housing program at East Metro Place, all 14 families in permanent housing receive Section 8 rental assistance and supportive services.

In 2024, the program served 22 families (88 individuals).

HomeFront works with veterans experiencing homelessness, providing affordable housing and supportive services to 10 households, including eight families and two single adults, in a permanent supportive housing setting in Maplewood, MN.

In 2024, the program served 12 families (38 individuals).

Welcome Home Washington launched in the fall of 2023. It provides scattered-site permanent supportive housing and services in Washington County to families who are experiencing chronic homelessness. This program serves families with income-based rental assistance and supportive services to help them secure and maintain safe, affordable housing, improve their health and independent living skills, and achieve greater economic stability.

In 2024, the program served 14 families (34 individuals).

2024 Program Outcomes

Adults and Children Served by Solid Ground

Families Served by Solid Ground

Of the total served, 97% of Families achieved Housing Stability with Solid Ground.

Key Outcomes

Housing Stability

Goal #1: 80% | Result: 91% of families secured housing with Solid Ground, with another 6 (4%) in housing search.91%

91%

Goal #2: 90% | Result: 97% of families achieved housing stability with Solid Ground.97%

97%

Economic Stability

Goal #1: 50% | Result: 54% of households increased their household income at exit.54%

54%

Educational Advancement

Goal #1: 95% | Result: 96% of school-aged children had regular school attendance.96%

96%

Improved Health & Living Skills

Goal #1: 90% | Result: 92% of adults have utilized Solid Ground services (up 30% from last year).92%

92%

The families served by Solid Ground are very low-wealth households:

66% of families had incomes below 100% of the federal poverty line

10% had incomes between 100-200% of the federal poverty line

5% had incomes above 200% of the federal poverty line