Nonprofit Spotlight: Haven Housing

Article by Becky Fillinger 

Emily SeddonSo many organizations fulfill their mission, day in and day out, without much fanfare. Are you aware that Haven Housing has provided supportive housing for women for over 40 years? We spoke to Emily Seddon, Development Director, about the many programs available and how you can get involved. 

Q:  2021 was the 40th anniversary of Haven Housing. Please tell us your history, mission and how many fellow citizens you've served.

A:  Our mission at Haven Housing is to provide women and children in crisis or transition with a stable environment, and the opportunity to explore options for their future. Haven Housing began in 1981 when the Sisters of St. Joseph Carondelet opened Ascension Place in a former convent to provide supportive housing for women in Minneapolis based on Dorothy Day’s Catholic Worker model. Since then, our programs, now secular, have expanded to meet the emerging needs of women facing complex problems such as homelessness, mental illness, chemical dependency, abuse and incarceration. In 1990, we opened St. Anne’s Place Emergency Family Shelter to serve women-led families and pregnant women experiencing homelessness. In 2011, we established a third program - Next Step Housing - to provide permanent supportive housing to women and families in Hennepin County.

For four decades, Haven Housing has been North Minneapolis’ provider of shelter and housing for women and families in need of refuge, stability and opportunity. We have had the honor of serving nearly 15,000 people in that time.

Q:  Congratulations on your successes! What are your current programs?

A:  Haven Housing operates three programs for women and families, providing varying levels of support: 

• St. Anne’s Place Emergency Family Shelter provides sixteen private bedrooms for women-led families (up to 55 women and kids total) experiencing homelessness. Meals, individualized case management, children’s activities, tutoring and housing help are offered. In 2020, we served 107 moms with 171 kids, who stayed with us for an average of 63 days. 
• Ascension Place offers thirty-two rooms of sober, supportive housing for adult women to heal from trauma, address chemical or mental health needs, and benefit from a nurturing community with the support of their peers and staff. In addition to a private bedroom, we offer nutritious meals, on-site case management and activities. In 2020, 53 women found a safe haven to heal at Ascension Place, where they stayed on average for one year. 
• Next Step Housing provides permanent, supportive housing to adult women and mothers with children. Housing is located in our 12-unit apartment building and in apartments throughout the metro. In 2020, 40 women and 33 children participated in our Next Step housing program. Next Step Housing residents may live with us and stay in the program as long as they wish.

Q:  Please tell us about the poster art competition for the four-decade celebration.

A:  In recognition of our 40th year of service, Haven Housing launched the “Picture Safe Haven” Poster Art Competition in the summer of 2021 in partnership with the Roho Collective, a network of artists of color in the Twin Cities. The competition asked artists to answer the question “What does safe haven mean to you?”

Picture Safe Haven winning poster by Cassie Berg

The four winning artists, Angela Davis, Cassie Berg, Christopher E. Harrison and Kprecia Ambers, received a cash prize and recognition at our Picture Safe Haven event on July 31, which was included as part of the FLOW Northside Arts Crawl. We’re thrilled with the winning posters and have shared them with supporters, Haven guests and residents, and partner organizations, as well as incorporating the designs into some of our own promotional materials. You can see the winning posters and read about the artists on our website. We’re grateful to the artists who contributed their vision to our 40th Anniversary commemorative year, as well as to the Roho Collective for their leadership in this project.

Q:  Do you welcome volunteers?

A:  Yes! Haven Housing welcomes individual or group volunteers for a variety of projects every year. Currently, some volunteer opportunities are limited or virtual due to COVID-19, but we are currently recruiting volunteers for help with playground and field trip assistance, leading virtual activities for residents and guests, and meal support. Volunteer donation drives for in-kind contributions like linens, cleaning supplies and clothing items are also vital to maintaining our programs. You can see all our volunteer opportunities and fill out a volunteer application online, or contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Kathy Moe, at kmoe@havenhousing.org if you would like to volunteer.

Q:  What are the priorities for 2022 and beyond?

A:  Our first priority is always maintaining safe and supportive shelter and housing opportunities for women and children in crisis or transition. This year and going forward we are deepening our chemical and mental health support services. As we work to continuously improve our programs, we know it’s important to recommit to equity in our work. We’ve contracted with Lissa Jones-Lofgren, a Culture and Inclusion Coach based in North Minneapolis, to help the Haven Housing board and staff build a stronger foundation of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility into our programs and work. 

The flip side of the coin to our programs is our properties. We are focusing on making sure our buildings are safe, dignified places for women and children to heal, find permanent housing, and make progress towards their goals. We are currently fundraising for significant repair and maintenance needs at our three buildings. The former convents that are home to St. Anne’s Emergency Shelter and Ascension Place Sober Supportive Housing are over 80 years old, so the features that were built to last 100 years are starting to fail, and honestly, there are better options available now for HVAC, fire suppression, and making the most of small spaces.

Maintaining our buildings is one commitment we make to our program participants and our neighbors. Being a good neighbor is just one part of our expanding community engagement efforts. We’ve been working with other Northside partners on neighborhood clean-ups, serving as block leaders for National Night Out, participating in Open Streets, and working with other housing organizations to advocate for those experiencing homelessness.

Q:  Thank you for speaking with us. How may we follow your news?

A:  There are many ways to follow Haven Housing! You can sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

You can also find out more information about our program on our website and blog.