EMMA NORTON SERVICES

IN 2025, EMMA NORTON PROVIDED SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TO 355 INDIVIDUALS. WE HAVE THREE MAIN HOUSING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING OUR NEW RESTORING WATERS DEVELOPMENT, EMMA'S PLACE, AND OUR SCATTERED-SITE HOUSING PROGRAM, PLUS ADDITIONAL SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, INCLUDING OUR NEW DROP-IN MENTAL HEALTH SPACE, THE LIVING ROOM. RESTORING WATERS OFFERS A 24-HOUR STAFFED APARTMENT-STYLE LIVING ENVIRONMENT WITH ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES AND ONSITE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR 60+ INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL FAMILIES AT ANY ONE TIME. IN 2025, THE PROGRAM SERVED 63 PEOPLE. IN TOTAL, 93 PERCENT OF INDIVIDUALS MAINTAINED THEIR HOUSING FOR TWELVE MONTHS OR MORE OR EXITED TO SAFE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING OF THEIR CHOICE, AND 98% OF TENANTS PARTICIPATED IN ONSITE PROGRAMMING TO SUPPORT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING. THE FAMILY PROGRAM STARTS WITH FAMILIES WHO QUALIFY TO LIVE AT EMMA'S PLACE, A TOWNHOME COMMUNITY IN MAPLEWOOD, MN THAT CAN HOUSE UP TO 13 FAMILIES AT ANY ONE TIME. TO QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM, FAMILIES MUST MEET THE DEFINITION OF HUD HOMELESSNESS, HAVE THREE OR MORE CHILDREN, AND AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE FAMILY MUST HAVE A DISABLING CONDITION. WHEN A FAMILY HAS LIVED AT EMMA'S PLACE FOR AT LEAST A YEAR, THEY RECEIVE A SECTION 8 CERTIFICATE THAT CAN BE PORTED INTO ANOTHER RENTAL OPPORTUNITY ANYWHERE IN THE COMMUNITY. FAMILIES THAT ACHIEVE THIS CAN CHOOSE TO ENROLL IN THE FAMILIES SCATTERED SITE PROGRAM AND CONTINUE TO RECEIVE CASE MANAGEMENT IN THEIR OWN HOMES AS WELL AS PARTICIPATE IN YOUTH ACTIVITIES. BETWEEN THE SITE-BASED AND SCATTERED SITE PROGRAM, 159 PEOPLE WERE SERVED WITH THE VAST MAJORITY BEING CHILDREN. DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF CHILDREN, THE PROGRAM NOT ONLY HAS CASE MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAMMING FOR ADULTS, BUT IT ALSO HAS TARGETED PROGRAMMING AND CASE MANAGEMENT FOR THE YOUTH THAT FOCUSES ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILL BUILDING. IN 2025, 39 YOUTH BETWEEN AGES 5 12 ENGAGED IN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING INCLUDING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES, ART, SCHOOL SUPPORT, AND OTHER AREAS RELEVANT TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT. FOR THE OLDER YOUTH, 25 TEENS ENGAGED WITH ONE TO ONE CASE MANAGEMENT, AND STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES DURING TEEN NIGHTS WHERE THEY COULD EXPLORE EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL OPTIONS FOR AFTER HIGH SCHOOL AND PLAN FOR THEIR FUTURE. AT EMMA'S PLACE, 95 PERCENT OF ADULTS CREATED A STABILITY PLAN AND ACTIVELY WORKED TOWARD COMPLETING AT LEAST ONE GOAL BEFORE EXITING THE PROGRAMTHE SCATTERED-SITE PROGRAM MAINLY SERVES INDIVIDUAL HEADED HOUSEHOLDS BUT DOES HAVE SOME SMALL FAMILIES AS WELL. THESE PARTICIPANTS QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM DUE TO HAVING A LONG-TERM HOMELESS STATUS AND A LONG-TERM DISABLING CONDITION. ALL REFERRALS ARE RECEIVED THROUGH THE LOCAL COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM, AND PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN ONE OF THE SITE-BASED PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO QUALIFY. CASE MANAGEMENT STAFF OFFER HOUSING NAVIGATION SERVICES TO FIND A PRIVATE MARKET RATE RENTAL, AND THEN OFFER HOUSING STABILIZATION SERVICES TO TENANTS AFTER TRANSITIONING FROM BEING UNHOUSED TO HOUSED. IN 2025, 70 INDIVIDUALS WERE SERVED BY THE PROGRAM, WITH 92 PERCENT OF TENANTS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THEIR INITIAL LEASE PERIOD. ADDITIONALLY, 100 PERCENT OF HOUSEHOLDS THAT EXPERIENCED A CRISIS THAT COULD IMPACT THEIR HOUSING STABILITY RECEIVED SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO RESOLVE IT.IN AUGUST 2024, EMMA NORTON SERVICES LAUNCHED THE LIVING ROOM, AN INNOVATIVE, PEER-LED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A WELCOMING ALTERNATIVE TO EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, OR CRISIS. WHAT BEGAN AS A FREE DROP-IN SERVICE EXPANDED TO SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK IN OCTOBER 2024 AND ADDED TELEHEALTH SERVICES IN MAY 2025, INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACROSS THE REGION.SINCE OPENING, THE LIVING ROOM HAS EXPERIENCED STEADY GROWTH AND DEMONSTRATED MEANINGFUL OUTCOMES. IN 2025, THE PROGRAM PROVIDED 514 VISITS AND CONNECTED VISITORS TO 301 REFERRALS FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, HOUSING RESOURCES, FOOD SUPPORT, AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORTS. VISITORS REPORTED AN AVERAGE DECREASE OF 29 POINTS ON A 0100 SUBJECTIVE UNITS OF DISTRESS (SUD) SCALE DURING THEIR VISITS, INDICATING SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN EMOTIONAL DISTRESS. OF THE 514 VISITS IN 2025, ONLY TWO RESULTED IN A HOSPITAL TRANSFER, HIGHLIGHTING THE PROGRAM'S EFFECTIVENESS IN PROVIDING COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT AND STABILIZATION. FROM ITS OPENING THROUGH MARCH 2026, THE LIVING ROOM HAS PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY 775 VISITS, REFLECTING BOTH A GROWING COMMUNITY NEED AND THE VALUE OF PEER-LED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.