About Us

Our Mission

To house, support, and advocate for people experiencing homelessness.


Simpson Housing Services began as an emergency overnight shelter at Simpson United Methodist Church in 1982. For four decades, we have been a leading nonprofit helping people experiencing homelessness. In response to unmet community needs, our key programs have grown to include the following: an extended-stay shelter; supportive housing programs for youth, single adults, and families; and developmental and educational services for children. We annually support 2,000 people experiencing and transitioning out of homelessness, including 300 families with 650 children.

We were one of the first Minnesota organizations to use the nationally recognized Housing First model. Individuals and families are placed into housing immediately and then supported with identified services to help address barriers. We work across the metro area, partnering with property owners and developers to connect families and individuals to affordable, sustainable housing. The majority of our program participants live in scattered-site housing or individual apartments in market-rate apartment buildings, with the largest number of participants living in Hennepin County. Last year, we provided supportive services to over 1,600 people across all our programs.

Click here to read our latest annual report and see our impact.

Click here to explore Simpson’s history.

Who We Are

Mission

To house, support, and advocate for people experiencing homelessness.

About Us

Since our beginnings in 1982 in the basement of Simpson United Methodist Church, Simpson has become a leading nonprofit providing assistance to people experiencing homelessness. In response to unmet community needs, our services have grown to include five key programs: emergency shelter, supportive housing programs for youth, single adults, and families – along with developmental and educational services for children of families in our Family Housing Program.

We were one of the first Minnesota organizations to use the nationally-recognized Housing First model. Individuals and families are placed into housing immediately then supported with identified services to help address barriers. We work across the metro area partnering with landlords and developers to find sustainable housing for families and individuals. The majority of our program participants live in scattered-site housing or individual apartments in market-rate apartment buildings, with the largest number of participants living in Hennepin County.

Last year, we provided supportive services to 568 individuals and 275 families with more than 593 children.  Click here to view our shelter and housing program locations in the community.

Values

  • We believe that everybody has the right to safe and affordable housing.
  • We celebrate and embrace the uniqueness and dignity of every person.
  • We encourage people to draw upon their strengths and promote the power of self-advocacy.
  • We advocate against the injustices of society that cause homelessness and poverty.
  • We strive to create a collaborative community with the individuals we serve, within Simpson, and with the greater community.

Our Commitment to Advancing Racial Equity

We hold steadfast to our values, embracing the uniqueness and dignity of each person and advocating against the injustices of society. Together, we are committed to working for racial equity and ending homelessness.

Click here to learn more about our commitment to racial equity.

Click here to go to Simpson’s page of educational resources for racial justice.

What Makes Simpson Special?

Staying True to Our Mission in All That We Do

Simpson Housing Services is a special organization, well-equipped to achieve its mission. Simpson’s effectiveness lies within the staff’s commitment to supporting this mission with persistence and compassion every day.

“I am always inspired at the shelter when I walk by the front door at 5:00 p.m. and watch as the shelter staff welcome each shelter guest by name — all of them. I have guests that scratch their heads and ask, ‘how does everybody remember my name?’ That initial engagement, that dignity, that relationship creates the environment where work can happen. … It’s about believing in the strength of the individual, believing in people’s capacity for self-advocacy. It’s about engaging someone when they are in a point of crisis, identifying the barriers, finding housing options that sound good, building that relationship, trusting their voice, and figuring out how to end the crisis.” 

“Our mission statement is the focal point for staff as they serve participants. Our mission and values stand up really well. … They are well-positioned to be actionable. There is profound integrity to our direction that comes from that. … Do what it says. And we do.” 

Executive Director Steve Horsfield

Our Values

We believe that everybody has the right to safe and affordable housing.

We celebrate and embrace the uniqueness and dignity of every person.

We encourage people to draw upon their strengths and promote the power of self-advocacy.

We advocate against the injustices of society that cause homelessness and poverty.

We strive to create a collaborative community with the individuals we serve, within Simpson, and with the greater community.

Our Commitment to Advancing Racial Equity

We hold steadfast to our values, embracing the uniqueness and dignity of each person and advocating against the injustices of society. Together, we are committed to working for racial equity and ending homelessness.

Our Thanks to You


 

“I am always inspired at the shelter when I watch as the shelter staff welcome each shelter guest by name — all of them. That initial engagement, that dignity, that relationship creates the environment where work can happen. It’s about believing in the strength of the individual, believing in people’s capacity for self-advocacy. It’s about engaging someone when they are in a point of crisis, identifying the barriers, finding housing options that sound good, building that relationship, trusting their voice, and figuring out how to end the crisis.” 

“Our mission statement is the focal point for staff as they serve participants. Our mission and values stand up really well. … They are well-positioned to be actionable. There is profound integrity to our direction that comes from that. … Do what it says. And we do.”

Steve Horsfield, Executive Director