Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative Annual Report | July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024
A Message from President and CEO Chris LaTondresse
Dear Supporters,
Since I began in the role of President and CEO of Beacon, I have come to understand that this is a critical moment not only for Beacon, but also for the supportive housing sector as a whole.
Gratefully, our strong and capable staff, a strategic and dedicated Board of Directors, and support from individuals and communities across the metro have allowed Beacon to take this moment to focus on protecting, sustaining, and growing our mission for the benefit of current Beacon residents, and those who we will someday have the opportunity to serve through a Beacon home.
The 2023-2024 fiscal year had many bright spots – we opened Bimosedaa, reintroduced building tours so community members can see quality supportive housing in action, signed on to support the Our Future Starts at Home campaign, prepared to open Vista 44 and Emerson Village to families experiencing homelessness, successfully advocated for Local Area Housing Aid (LAHA) dollars to sustain affordable housing, announced a new East Metro development named The Aragon, and saw community and resident stability rise to new heights at Great River Landing.
Furthermore, we discovered that despite our start as a group of passionate and faithful members of one Minneapolis congregation, we have now grown to become the largest provider of supportive housing in the state of Minnesota. With that honor comes an imperative to protect, sustain and grow our mission and serve our current and future residents with the quality and care they deserve.
The theme of this year’s annual report is “Grow Strong.” As Beacon continues to live into our leadership in the nonprofit supportive housing sector, we are focusing our work on strengthening our management and operations as we continue to do what Beacon has always done best – advocate to change systems to serve more people and get ever closer to the vision that ALL people have a home.
Enjoy discovering what we achieved together in the last year. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Together in this,
Chris LaTondresse President & CEO
Meeting the Moment
70%
of extremely low-income Minnesotans without access to affordable housing
57%
Black renter households who pay more than 30% of their income on housing
10,500+
Minnesotans who struggle with homelessness on any given night
2 out of 3
people experiencing homelessness identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC).
48%
of people experiencing homelessness are families with children
1 out of 3
people experiencing homelessness do not stay in a formal shelter
27×
Native Americans are 27× more likely to experience unsheltered homelessness compared to the overall population
15,375
more permanent supportive homes are necessary to fill the housing gap and end homelessness in Minnesota
The Task Ahead
Ending homelessness requires a thriving supportive housing sector.
Research proves that supportive housing offers a transformational solution to break the cycle of homelessness and set up residents for long-term success.
In 2023, Beacon opened a new building in downtown Minneapolis called Bimosedaa—an Ojibwe word meaning “Let’s walk together.”
Beacon transformed the abandoned Rockler Fur Building in the Warehouse District and created 48 homes with culturally relevant supportive services tailored toward members of the Native community. Supportive services provided by Avivo help residents find meaningful employment, pursue education, improve mental and physical health, plan for the future, set achievable goals, and strengthen community connections.
When leaders from Red Lake Nation, Avivo, Beacon, and several congregations of the Beacon collaborative began planning for what would become Bimosedaa, they envisioned permanent housing for individuals living at the Wall of Forgotten Natives—a Minneapolis encampment active in 2018.
It took Beacon and its partner organizations, including the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and the State of Minnesota, five years to assemble the funding, restore the historic building, and make the vision of Bimosedaa come to reality.
Thanks to the concerted efforts of the Beacon community and our partners, Bimosedaa welcomed its first residents home in late 2023. While meeting only a small portion of the overall need, Bimosedaa represents what is possible when people and organizations from all corners of society work and walk together to provide for the common good. Because of their efforts, 48 more individuals are now experiencing the comfort and warmth of home.
Serving Residents
1 in 10
permanent supportive homes in Minnesota are held by Beacon
1,200+
individuals make up our resident community
48
new Beacon homes opened in fiscal year 2024
796
Beacon homes in operation
515
homes at 15 properties provided supportive services to residents
6
partner organizations provided supportive services to residents of Beacon homes
392
new Beacon homes in development in fiscal year 2024
87,667
hours of excellence and care contributed by Beacon staff to advance our mission
Growing the Movement | 20+ Years of Supportive Housing
For over 20 years, Beacon has built affordable homes for people facing the greatest barriers to stable housing. Beyond being affordable to individuals with low or no income, the majority of our apartments also feature on-site supportive services that help residents build stability, increase opportunity, bolster health, and forge community connections.
The graph below reflects the growth of our supportive and affordable housing over the past two decades. We owe this success to the support of the Beacon community and many other generous public and private partners. Our work takes a village.
Organize for Affordable and Supportive Housing
Together, the Beacon community of advocates helped us accomplish the following:
2,100
advocacy emails sent to public officials
58
meetings with state legislators
400
Beacon advocates attended in-person events at the Capitol and in congregations
$50 million
one-time allocation created to help stabilize affordable housing
$15 million
designated for supportive housing
1
state task force created to find long-term solutions to affordable housing stabilization
11
organizational partners convened to create the Supportive Housing Coalition
$50 million
in new housing bonds to build affordable housing
Inspiring Generosity and Action
87
congregations engaged in Beacon’s work
15
denominations and faith traditions represented in the Beacon collaborative
20+
congregations participated in supply drives for Beacon’s Bimosedaa and Vista 44
Community of Support
Protecting, Sustaining, and Growing Supportive Housing for Today and for the Future
A “Seed of Home” is the $21,000 in private support that it takes Beacon to plan, compile public resources, and build a new affordable, supportive home for an individual or family. However, our commitment to these homes and the people who live in them exists long beyond the grand opening of a new building.
Beacon is committed to providing safe and affordable homes for the residents we serve in each of our properties. Integral to our model are quality property management and service delivery partnerships, operations oversight, ongoing resident and community engagement, and advocacy for increased public funding to keep our homes affordable and offer needed resident services.
At Beacon, we’ve always understood the gap between what the public sector funds and what it truly takes to sustain the deeply affordable and supportive homes we know are essential to disrupt homelessness.
While we link arms with peer organizations to ensure that the government catches up to meet the need, at this moment, we must look to individual partners like you who value not only homes when they first open but also the people who live in them for as long as they need.
The generous private support of the Beacon community ensures that we stay true to our mission. Your support is a gift to residents whose lives are shaped in a Beacon home – today and for years to come.
$3.51 million
donated to support Beacon’s work
$26.8 million
total public funding unlocked for affordable Beacon homes
7.6×
the impact created by Beacon for each dollar donated
1,000+
donors who sustain Beacon’s work
A Powerful Voice for Home
Board members like Daymond Dean, a parishioner at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Community, advance organizational strategy and work with Beacon staff on critical initiatives, such as advocating to increase resources devoted to Minneapolis’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF).
“When we learned there weren’t as many deeply affordable homes being funded, we organized and moved forward,” recalls Daymond. As part of this advocacy campaign, Daymond and other Beacon advocates encouraged the City of Minneapolis to direct the AHTF to support housing developments serving Minneapolis residents with the lowest incomes.
By meeting with city officials, attending city council meetings, and petitioning the mayor, Daymond and his fellow housing advocates helped secure and direct additional funding to expand and sustain affordable housing in Minneapolis.
While reflecting on his advocacy, Daymond described experiencing “a great feeling to know that the work we put in was being realized. It takes a collaborative to see that all people have a home.” Daymond represents one of many Beacon board members, advocates, and leaders striving toward that mission.
The Board of Directors
as of June 30, 2024
Charlie Flynn, Chair, Owner/Founder, Francis King Ltd
When you give to Beacon, you’re not just building affordable homes—you’re creating stability, opportunity, and a brighter future for individuals and families.
Will you make a gift today to help build a stronger, more inclusive Minnesota where everyone benefits from the foundation of home?
