Catholic Charities is Part of an Ambitious New Plan to End Homelessness by 2025

Hennepin County is aiming to achieve “functional zero,” housing more people than become homeless. David Hagen and Manden Woodard, both 43, have more in common than just their age. Each man has demonstrated his resiliency, overcoming personal and health obstacles, to find new housing with Catholic Charities Twin Cities.

Their stories were shared in a recent Star Tribune article detailing Hennepin County’s efforts to end chronic homelessness by 2025. As part of the plan, the County will partner with a national group to “drive down those numbers until more people are rehoused every month in the county than those becoming homeless.”

Catholic Charities is a regional leader in housing, emergency shelters and direct services, supporting more than 20,000 youth and adults annually. With the completion of Endeavors Residence at our Elliot Park facility in 2022, we now provide nearly 1,000 deeply affordable units of housing in the Twin Cities.

Two Journeys to Stable Housing

With help from a volunteer and a Hennepin County case manager, Mr. Hagen was finally able to transition from a homeless encampment in North Minneapolis in early 2023. He had suffered a series of devastating strokes that left him barely able to walk. Now, he lives in a one-bedroom apartment at Catholic Charities’ Endeavors Residence, where he shares kitchen and bathroom amenities with his neighbors.

Mr. Woodard moved to Minneapolis 10 years ago seeking treatment for addiction and had been unsheltered numerous times. Last year, he stayed at Catholic Charities’ Higher Ground pay-for-stay shelter for men before eventually moving to his own apartment.

We are pleased to partner with Hennepin County as well as other public and private partners amidst the Twin Cities’ ongoing housing crisis. Catholic Charities is committed to providing a safe space and a pathway to stable housing for all within our community.