Making Housing Resources Accessible for More Neighbors in Hennepin County

Hennepin County School to Housing Team’s Heading Home Corps members. Front row, from left: Nita, Jackson; back row, from left: Adam, Kim, Knee’Sha.

Serving in AmeriCorps is a great way to make an impact directly in your own community. For two Heading Home Corps members in Minneapolis, their passion to make a difference and personal experiences with homelessness have been huge assets for Hennepin County’s Housing Stability Department! Thanks to their service, more people are achieving their housing goals. 

At Hennepin County’s Housing Stability Department, members of Heading Home Corps serve on several different teams. Knee’Sha and Nita are both part of the School to Housing team that focuses on supporting families who are at imminent risk of homelessness. As Housing Resource Navigators, they help ensure that the families they serve can stay housed. They help them apply for resources like rental assistance and connect them with other supportive services. Not only do community members appreciate them, but staff at Hennepin County do too! 

“[Housing Resource Navigators] are the meat and potatoes of the stew,” says ShaVonda Allen, Health and Human Services Supervisor at Hennepin County and Heading Home Corps supervisor. “They are the main ingredient.” 

Before she joined Heading Home Corps, Knee’Sha was on a parent advisory committee for stable homes and stable schools. The organizers there knew she was passionate about housing services, so they suggested she join Heading Home Corps. Wanting to get a taste of what it’s like to put her passion in action, Knee’Sha applied as a Housing Resource Navigator and has found loves what she does! 

“I helped get a deposit and the first month’s rent covered for a family,” she says. “Mom owed back-rent to a previous property manager and had to pay that in order for the new property manager to accept her. Everything worked out for her and her five kids!” 

As part of the onboarding process on the School to Housing team, new members of Heading Home Corps shadow other members with more service experience. Nita is new this year and partnered with second-year member Knee’Sha to see how she communicates with her families. 

“I love the shadowing experience. You can see the personality and different skill set that each navigator has to offer,” Nita says.  

While spending time with Knee’Sha, she learned techniques to handle hurdles in the application process as well as how to empower her clients to work toward their goals. While it’s not a requirement for members of Heading Home Corps to have experience with homelessness, Knee’Sha and Nita both do. Their perspectives allow them to personally connect with the people they serve. 

“I would always tell my families, ‘Hey, no judgement whatsoever because I get it. I've been there.’ I think that has helped the families be able to disclose information and trust me, because a lot of families have been burnt by systems or just feel like they're overlooked,” Knee’Sha says. 

“For some of our families with deepest disparities – our Black and Brown communities that are deeply affected by housing and homelessness – this partnership really has brought people who have made an impact,” Allen adds. “I think that comes from this partnership bringing on folks who are passionate and who care and who want to do work that's meaningful to them. For us to have this partnership and be able to build the capacity to give families a different experience with government as a system, it's been a game changer.” 

In addition to supporting families using Hennepin County resources, service with Heading Home Corps can also be an asset to members’ career paths. Knee’Sha, for instance, plans to pursue a future in housing services! 

“Heading Home Corps plays the most important role in how I see my future,” she says, “It's made me realize that this is what I need to be doing. And the fact that I have the education award, I plan to go to school to further my education in this type of work.” 

We are so grateful for our partnership with Hennepin County’s School to Housing team, and all the members they have there! Interested in joining Heading Home Corps as an AmeriCorps member? Visit ampact.us/heading-home to learn more and find a position near you.