History

Fifteen years ago...

A diverse group of people gathered to discuss a growing concern. They realized that some Minnesotans consistently relied on emergency systems for their basic needs--housing, medical care, food, medications, etc.--and had so for years. It was costing the system a lot, and people weren't getting healthier. Their answer was the Supportive Housing and Managed Care Pilot.

In 1999, Hearth Connection was born to put the Pilot in action.

Based in Ramsey and Blue Earth Counties, the Pilot was an experimental project to end long-term homelessness. It ran from 2001 to 2007 and used a collaborative approach to engage people and reduce their exposure to harm. An independent evaluation of the Pilot revealed the impact of the supportive housing model on the community: instead of sheltering people in streets, jails, and detox, people were able to obtain and keep their own places. Expenses shifted from overcrowded crisis systems to investments in housing and medical care, ie prescriptions and doctor visits.

The Pilot was such a success that the Governor and Legislature expanded the project area from 2 counties to 26. Hearth Connection and its partners began enrolling participants in the Northeastern, Metro, and Southern Regional Projects in 2006.

Three years later, the expansion continued. Hearth Connection's work in Southern Minnesota grew to include six more counties, focusing on people with long histories of homelessness, chemical dependency, and other barriers to housing. Additionally, Hearth Connection developed new partnerships to study how supportive housing helps specific groups, like people with chronic medical conditions, and school-age children.

And we're just getting started.