People Struggling with Mental Illness Deserve Housing, Too

Tasks Unlimited

This summer, we’re partnering with Tasks Unlimited to provide critical repairs on three of their housing lodges. Tasks Unlimited is a not-for-profit organization that provides supported employment, housing, and recovery services for people with mental illness. They believe all people, including those with mental illness, deserve the chance at a meaningful life full of living, working, and achieving. We do, too!

Their housing services consist of 17 affordable lodges around the Twin Cities metro area where individuals can live with limited assistance from staff. The lodges are communal and interdependent spaces where tenants are responsible but supported with household upkeep, budgeting, navigating public transit, tenant education, and more.

In their model, by living and working as a group, program participants hold each other accountable for managing their mental health symptoms and fostering a more independent lifestyle. Our Programs Team and volunteers from various corporate partners will be on-site doing the work to support our shared community and ensure this housing continues to be available.

People experiencing mental health crises are at greater risk of becoming unhoused and can struggle to maintain stable and safe housing during their treatment. Supporting Tasks Unlimited in repairing these lodges is directly connected to our mission and our vision of a Minnesota where everyone has safe and supportive housing that meets their needs.

Casting a Safety Net for Stable Housing

A recent Family Housing Fund report took a close look at how Minnesota can work more collaboratively to build a stronger safety net to ensure more residents can live safely at home. What’s key in making this work is not only establishing more effective emergency financial assistance but surrounding homeowners with easy solutions to improve their quality of homeownership.

During the community engagement phase of the study, participants identified three main ways the system could change for better outcomes. First, fully fund emergency financial assistance programs, second, harness data to inform better decision-making, and finally, support stronger coalition building. 

Rebuilding Together Minnesota is a proven partner uniquely positioned to answer this call with a robust  coalition of partners who take an active role in providing safe and dignified housing for all Minnesotans.

The study notes that, “Minnesota is home to a strong housing advocacy network with a track record of legislative successes”; In fact, our work across Southwest Minnesota has grown to include partnerships with county services and investments from recent Statewide Affordable Housing Aid allocations. Coupled with a strong referral network, our partners and dedicated local staff have built a supportive coalition from which we continue to advocate for the support needed to better meet the needs of our neighbors. 

For more than 25 years, we’ve been serving supporting  housing equity, advocating for support,  and will continue  building  powerful community partnerships to ensure we continue to make affordable safe and dignified housing a reality for each and every Minnesotan.

See the entire report here and help us achieve the goals it sets forth!

Kathy Greiner Executive Director

Unlocking Minnesota’s Housing Gap

Access to safe and affordable housing is vital for Minnesota families and community well-being. However, with a lack of housing inventory. Adding housing stock, and skyrocketing prices, this continues to be one the biggest challenges for our state.

According to the Minnesota Housing Partnership’s (MHP) 2024 State of the State’s Housing Profile, more than a quarter of Minnesota families, including half of all households who rent, pay more than they can afford, and that number continues to grow.

In addition, housing instability continues to rise with evictions increasing 44% since pre-COVID years. According to the MHP report, there were 24,211 evictions filed last year – mainly since more and more homeowners and renters are paying beyond their means, combined with the fact that there are not enough affordable homes available. The report shares that more than 114,000 households are currently in need of affordable homes across our state.

To support our neighbors in need while remaining in their homes, we need to find more solutions to support home ownership over a longer period of time.

At Rebuilding Together Minnesota, our work provides critical home modifications that allows homeowners to remain in their homes and communities, safely. From simple installations such as grab bars, handrails, lighting and fire protection, to more significant improvements like new roofing, windows, landscaping, and accessibility ramps – our programs support stable, dignified housing that protects existing housing stock, stabilizing families and communities, building pathways to generational wealth over time.

This is extremely important as the cost of homeownership continues to push the limits of what’s attainable. In fact, MHP recently reported that the average homeowner in the state needs an annual household income of nearly $100,000 to afford a median-priced home.

Rebuilding Together Minnesota, along with corporate and state-led housing organizations, like the MHP, Minnesota Housing and the Department of Human Services, feel housing is a basic need that everyone should have access to.

While no organization or task force can shift the strain Minnesotan’s are feeling on their own, we are proud to be doing our part, supporting hundreds of our neighbors across the state with the critical improvements they need to weather the impacts of our changing housing landscape. These renovations are an important part of the solution that keeps our most vulnerable homeowners safe and secure.

Republic Services Helps Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center

We were thrilled to partner with volunteers from Republic Services to make improvements to the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC)! On October 13th and 14th, Republic Services provided both volunteers and a grant for this project through their Neighborhood Promise Program.

MIWRC is a nonprofit social and mental health services organization committed to traditional ways of being and support of Native women and their families. Beverly Bushyhead (Eastern Band of Cherokees), Interim CEO/President of MIWRC, said “It’s exciting to see the facelift and how warming to know lives touched by the work at MIWRC last for the long haul! Thank you! The group did a fantastic job! What an awesome feeling to be connected to such service generosity!”

Check out coverage of this project.

We are grateful for the support of Republic Services and their dedication to helping individuals, organizations, and neighborhoods in need in the Twin Cities!