The Simpson shelters. A bed, a meal, a shower and a place to call home.

We offer shelter to single adults from all backgrounds. Some are abused, mentally ill or forgotten. But many are people not that different than you, except that they have suffered some terrible luck.

Each of the 60 people served daily is offered a safe place, a clean bed, a shower, laundry services, a warm meal, resource referrals, and perhaps most important, the simple dignity of being addressed by name. Sadly, we need to turn away almost as many as we serve every night because of a lack of resources.

Men's shelter
Women's shelter

Watch an interview with shelter manager Brian Bozeman

Besides these basic services, we’ve pioneered some innovative programs designed to help shelter guests find more stability in their lives. For example, the Simpson Savings Program secures a longer-term bed if a shelter guests turns over 40 percent of their income to Simpson for safekeeping. Last year over 60 people who used this program proudly saved enough to move into permanent housing.

Last year, advocates moved over 100 men from the shelter into permanent housing. The newly developed Simpson Women’s Housing Partnership works at locating permanent housing and offering support services to homeless single adult women from our women's shelter. In just a few months, 10 women have been placed into housing.

	Volunteer groups serve dinner at both shelters 365 days a year.

Simpson Shelter Programs
With the 1999 opening of a new shelter for adult women, Simpson operates two emergency shelters in Minneapolis. The Simpson shelters target adult men and women, age 18 and older in Minneapolis. We operate in church basements with congregate sleeping areas serving working people, those living with serious and persistent mental illness, those with chemical dependency, people who are newly homeless, battered women, people with medical needs, snf senior citizens. Our two shelters are open overnight from 6 pm until 7:00 am.

Simpson shelters first meet the most basic needs of people who are homeless. We provide safe and quiet shelter, an address, breakfast, lunch and dinner, telephones, basic hygiene products, showers, laundry, clothing, voice mail, medical care and storage. Through our advocacy, guests have access to housing, employment, mental health and chemical dependency referrals. Simpson operates a bank of sorts for guests, whether they are participating in our savings program or just need assistance with money management.

	Shelter advocates work with shelter guests to move them into permanent housing.

Community Involvement
Simpson Shelter is a leader in collaborating with other agencies in the community. We have staff participating in the Shelter Providers Action Association, a group consisting of homeless and formerly homeless individuals, advocates, shelter providers and local government representatives.

Simpson staff play key roles on the Heading Home Hennepin committee and with the recently developed Project Homeless Connect. Simpson hosts (along with the Shelter Providers Action Association and the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless) the annual Homeless Memorial and March honoring those who have died while homeless in Minnesota.

Simpson staff created the Minneapolis Shelter Tour, a three hour tour educating the public on homeless issues by exposing them to a variety of shelters in Minneapolis. With support of other agencies, this has led to family shelter tours, tours for Legislators, the media, and many church groups. Simpson staff also helped found the Metro Engagement on Shelter and Housing, a group made up of representatives from the seven county metro area. This group and its work is the first step in looking at how we can better serve people who are homeless on a regional level.

Simpson not only provides community education through the weekly shelter tours, we participate in numerous public forums, school panels, worship services and major media stories. Our quizzes on homelessness have been duplicated in the newsletters of other agencies, at schools and other public venues.

Men's Shelter
Women's Shelter

SARAP Program
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Q & A with Brian Bozeman, shelter manager