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The Homeless to Housing program has surpassed over 2,000 people housed. It’s people who make it all possible.

Tammy Sutton and her Hennepin County caseworker Rebecca Dickson at Tammy’s new apartment in Cranberry Ridge, Plymouth.

When she first moved into her new apartment, Tammy Sutton was excited about one thing in particular—both of her children would have their own beds.“When we were in the shelter, we all shared the same bed,” she said. “Now we’re all sleeping better.”

Tammy and her kids were housed thanks to Homeless to Housing, a housing-focused case management program that recently reached the milestone of housing over 2,100 people, including 247 families, since its inception.

Lack of quality sleep was just one challenge that Tammy and her two children, Journey, 6, and Lyfe, 5, faced during the two years that they were dealing with homelessness. Along with the instability and stress of not having a place to call their own, unpaid debt from previous apartments made it impossible for Tammy to get approved at a new place.

“I applied to some apartments and got denied,” she said. “It felt like I was at a standstill. I was trying to work through it, but it wasn’t happening.”

When Hennepin County caseworker Rebecca Dickson stepped in, Tammy’s luck began to change.

“I tell clients that I’m the passenger in their car who operate as a GPS guide, and they’re the drivers and expert in their journey. I start out by listening to their barriers and start from that point,” said Rebecca. “For Tammy, the first barrier was those old debts. So, the question was, let’s see if we can pay those off, can it be settled? I did a lot of advocating and pushing and seeing if there’s way that we could get past it.”

That person-to-person connection—like Tammy and Rebecca’s — sets the program apart. Dedicated case managers meet people where they’re at, getting to know their challenges, histories, and strengths. They help clients navigate the resources available to them with the ultimate goal of finding stable, affordable housing.

Tammy Sutton at home in her kitchen.

A person-centered model that works.

Lynn Shafer, Homeless to Housing Program Manager, puts the program’s success squarely on the shoulders of her team of dedicated case managers like Rebecca.

“It’s all due to the hard work of case managers and staff. They’re very diligent, they’re highly skilled, and they really care,” she said. “Without that, we would never be this far. They want what’s best for their clients and they see it through.”

Another element of the program’s success is simple—they have resources.

“We have the resources to really make a difference,” Lynn explains. “Any barrier that somebody has, we really try to tackle it. Being a well-resourced program enables our staff to help break down financial barriers so we can focus on finding safe, permanent housing as quickly as possible.”

The team also helps people get the documents they need, find jobs to increase their income, find support resources, get connected to a mental health case manager, and more. Whatever the client is dealing with, case managers look into what they can do to get them housed as quickly as possible. Once in stable housing, case managers ensure that clients are connected to ongoing support services.

“This one-on-one approach where you have someone who needs help, and they have one person they can call for housing help, it’s a person-centered model that works,” said Shafer.

Starting with home

In June, Rebecca was able to help find Tammy a three-bedroom apartment at Cranberry Ridge, affordable housing made possible due to $1.05 million in capital financing from the county. For Cranberry Ridge, the county’s financing was from the HOME Investment Partnership Program, a federal affordable housing program that the county uses to fund housing for low-income families or individuals. With this funding, the county was able to secure units dedicated to people exiting homelessness.

HOME funds can only be used in suburban Hennepin County, which supports the county’s goal to create diverse housing options throughout the county, and not only in metro areas.

With a playground, community spaces, and recreation area, Cranberry Ridge is the kind of family-centered, thoughtful housing that considers a family’s whole needs and experiences—and is a perfect fit for Tammy and her family.

It was essential that this apartment was available for Tammy when she needed it. “The stars aligned,” said Rebecca. “I knew she was going to be perfect in this community.”

Tammy’s children Journey, left, and Lyfe, right, were so excited to have their own bedrooms and beds.

Finding stability

As for Tammy, she’s starting to find the stability and community that she’s been dreaming of for her family.

“Living here has been good so far. There are services and resources for us. There are a lot of children here, and the kids like to play with them on the playground. My son was acting up a little bit, now he’s a little calmer, they seem happier. It’s better for my kids that they have their own space, and they’re not cramped up with mom.”

Despite all the challenges and hardships they’ve faced, Tammy still encourages people to stay hopeful.

“Before I had a connection with Rebecca, it was a lot more difficult,” she said. “I just want people to know that if you feel like you’re at the bottom the only way you can go is up. Don't be discouraged, it’ll get better.”