Understanding Hennepin Shelter Hotline
Hennepin Shelter Hotline and Catholic Charities Diversion Program
The Hennepin Shelter Hotline is operated by a Catholic Charities Twin Cities program called Diversion. Residents of Hennepin County who are 18 or older call the hotline to seek emergency shelter, access mediation to find safe housing options, get advice about short-term non-shelter accommodations, and even locate resources to secure permanent housing. The goal of Diversion and the Hennepin Shelter Hotline is to help residents who are facing a housing emergency explore all their options before accessing emergency shelter. Although emergency shelters provide lifesaving services to our community, once people enter the system, it can be hard to get out.
Hennepin Shelter Hotline by the Numbers
Since its inception in January 2023, the program has helped thousands of people find alternatives to shelter. And about 80 percent of callers don’t call back because they have found an alternative to shelter or permanent housing. Some numbers:
• In fiscal year 2024 (July 2023 through June 2024), Hennepin Shelter Hotline served 5,861 households who were eligible for Diversion services (including first-time shelter seekers in Hennepin County or individuals who haven’t been in shelter in the past 90 days).
• Of those 5,861 households, 1,555 were families, and 4,306 were individuals. Also during that year, a total of 517 households (33%) were successfully diverted from emergency shelter.
• Between January and March of 2024, 28 people received direct assistance with down payment money, and/or first month’s rent to secure housing.
How Diversion Works
The person-centered approach that Diversion navigators take is client-led and solution-focused — and is also cost effective. It provides human connection to people who are in a crisis situation and are facing homelessness. Aside from connecting callers to local resources and offering mediation and other services, Hennepin Shelter Hotline is funded by the County to help provide qualifying callers with stipends for security deposits, first month’s rent, gift cards for food and other essentials, transportation, or other family reunification expenses. The Diversion program started on January 3, 2023 — during that calendar year, 1,313 households were diverted from emergency shelter. Recently, Marion Greene, Hennepin County Commissioner of District 3, visited the Catholic Charities Diversion team to learn more about the program and listen in on a handful of calls.
“When we first launched Diversion, we encountered a caller with a brother in another state that didn’t know they were homeless,” said Alanna Hinz-Sweeney, Program Director. “We offered to call him and help broach the subject . . . the brother wanted to help, so we purchased a bus ticket for the caller that same day to get them to his home.”
Commissioner Marion Greene Visits Diversion
Commissioner Greene represents residents in parts of Minneapolis and St. Louis Park. She visited Diversion one afternoon after spending the morning with other providers serving the homeless. Her goal was to better understand how Diversion fits into the greater context of emergency services in the Twin Cities, and what types of questions callers typically ask. “Callers often just want to know what options they have, and we help them work through their current crisis,” explained Robert Brass, Diversion Program Manager. “We typically ask: What other options can you explore besides shelter? Do you have a family member or friend who can help you out — even if it’s just for tonight?” From there, navigators help callers identify a solution. One recent caller was connected with a housing provider and moved in the next day. Another caller was a single dad who ran out of money while living in hotels — he received support to find housing and pay the damage deposit.
