Believe in Home
Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative Annual Report | July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025
A Message from Chris LaTondresse
Dear Supporters,
This past year has tested our community in profound ways, especially our friends and neighbors overcoming homelessness. Across Minnesota, we see a rising need for affordable homes and supportive services. The systems that hold this work are stretched thin. Nonprofits and partners like Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative face more challenges than ever to serve our neighbors with care and excellence as we navigate new risks and uncertainties, especially from the federal government.
Through these challenging times, with so much at stake, Beacon is not simply holding strong. Together, we’re proving what’s possible when persistence meets determination. We are boldly stepping forward, inviting our community into a future where every Minnesotan has a place to call home.
We opened new doors at Emerson Village in Minneapolis and Vista 44 in Hopkins, creating 90 new homes with services for families overcoming homelessness. We broke ground at Prairie Pointe in Shakopee, organized for approval of The Aragon in East St. Paul, and began transforming Kimball Court in St. Paul, ensuring this older property can continue offering stability and belonging amid rapidly evolving community need.
At the State Capitol, we helped secure the first-ever dedicated funding to sustain family supportive housing, a landmark victory that will keep families stably housed for years to come. Nationally, Beacon earned more than $5.2 million through HUD’s CoC Builds program for two new developments—Aster Commons in Richfield and Gladstone Crossing in Maplewood—recognizing our strength even as shifting federal priorities put that progress at risk.
Inside Beacon, we’ve grown stronger, too, improving how we operate our supportive housing locations, investing in our community and culture, and strengthening an environment of advocacy that’s committed to public systems that can sustain long-term success.
Through it all, one truth has guided us: we are only as strong as the community that stands with us. Every milestone this year was made possible by the faith, persistence, and generosity of people like you. Looking ahead, our path is clear. To meet this moment and continue solving homelessness in Minnesota, we must protect, grow and transform:
- Protect what works. The proven model of permanent supportive housing restores dignity and stability to residents.
- Grow what’s possible. Build new homes, deeper partnerships, and a broader movement for housing justice.
- Transform what must change. Simplify systems, innovate under constraint, and ensure that this work remains equitable, rooted in care and excellence.
Every new key handed to a resident, every congregation that organizes, every donor who invests boldly: each protects, grows, and transforms what’s possible for our shared future. Thank you for standing with us. For believing that, together, we can meet this moment and build a Minnesota where everyone has a home.
Chris LaTondresse
President & CEO
Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative
Key Stats in Fiscal Year 2025
Achieving Stability at Home
Housing that Works
Finding Support and a Place to Heal
After a 13-month experience of homelessness, ‘Aziga was offered a home at Emerson Village. With onsite supportive services provided by Project for Pride in Living and a new, safe place to call home with her daughter, ‘Aziga now experiences the calm and security that comes with not just having a place to sleep at night, but a place to heal. She spends time doing yoga, gardening, making friends, and planning for the future. “I just give thanks that we have a home, and that it’s new, and that we’re not going nowhere,” ‘Aziga says.
In addition to the apartment she and her daughter share, the support ‘Aziga has access to at Emerson Village takes some pressure off—she’s never going at it alone. “Miss Lorrie,” Program Manager at Emerson Village, “has always supported me here through my journey at Emerson Village. She has stuck by my side, always positive, always with a smile,” ‘Aziga says.
The possibilities that a safe and stable home makes for ‘Aziga’s family and others like hers are why we continue to advocate for more homes like Emerson Village, and why we are so proud to celebrate its opening this year!
Housing Development
Growing What’s Possible
Together with partners and our interfaith collaborative of congregations, Beacon is changing the landscape of home. That means we preserve, develop, and acquire deeply affordable and supportive housing for residents in the Twin Cities metro. We create high quality, multi-unit rental homes, carefully designed to address unmet needs of underserved populations, with a particular emphasis on serving future residents who have experienced homelessness or housing insecurity.
Celebrating New Beacon Homes at Vista 44
Just blocks from vibrant downtown Hopkins, Vista 44’s 50 apartment homes for families are designed for people with lower incomes and barriers to housing stability. Individualized on-site services are provided by Volunteers of America, offering practical support to help all members of a household achieve their goals. These supports can include tutoring for children, career readiness and parenting skills for adults, and physical and mental health care access for people of all ages.
Shanicha lives at Vista 44 in Hopkins with her wife and children. She says, “It is wonderful, I mean, wonderful.” Complicated paperwork is made easier with the help of staff in the building. She explains, “If we don’t understand it, we can come down here to our case workers, and they break it down for us on what we’ve got to do, how we’ve got to do it… It’s really amazing.”
With easy access to bus routes and light rail stations, parks, health centers, grocery stores, plus downtown with plenty of entertainment, Vista 44 is part of an exceptional community where families can thrive.
Emerson Village Brings a Community Together
In late 2024, Emerson Village opened to provide 40 supportive homes for families—bustling with activities for families and children, adorned with vibrant, warm, and colorful artwork developed with the community in partnership with Juxtaposition Arts.
“We must build on the momentum of our Emerson Village success to ensure that there are enough resources for everyone in our community to be in stable housing. We invite you to stand up for the vision that all people have a home and invite your friends and neighbors to join you.” – Marcy Frost, Community Member
Progress Updates
Prairie Pointe Opening
In January 2025, Beacon broke ground on Prairie Pointe in Shakopee, and residents began moving in in November 2025. Of the 42 units in the building, 28 are for families that have recently experienced homelessness.
Kimball Court Redevelopment
At Kimball Court in St. Paul, Beacon leads a major expansion and remodeling project focused on creating a positive environment where all residents can thrive.
The Aragon Finds a Path Forward
Thanks to community advocacy in support of The Aragon in East St. Paul, Beacon received important approvals to move ahead with the development of 53 apartment homes.
Fiscal Year 2025 Advocacy
Protecting and Transforming Systems Together
This year, Beacon stepped boldly into leading advocacy efforts focused on meeting the needs of our community members through supportive housing. Together, we raised our voices locally, across Minnesota, and nationally to sustain and protect affordable and supportive housing, so more people have a home.
In this last year, we leaned into federal advocacy with persistence and purpose alongside sustaining our important work locally and across the state. The Beacon collaborative of congregations helped activate thousands of individuals who collectively took the following actions:
Support Grows Locally for Affordable and Supportive Housing
Together, we helped channel nearly $25M in local affordable housing aid for affordable and supportive housing. This support came at a key moment in securing the future of this essential community infrastructure in our state.
Beacon led a multi-year effort to fill the state’s funding gap for services in family supportive housing. In a year when people said it couldn’t be done, our efforts prompted the legislature to create a new $750,000 grant program for family supportive housing.
Convening for Change
We are more powerful when we work together. Beacon has played a major role as a convener and coalition-builder, including participation and leadership in the MN Stability Coalition, Supportive Housing Coalition, Our Future Starts with Home, and Housing Federal Advocacy Coalition. We take seriously our role as an established collaborator, partner, supporter, and convener as we work together to make home possible for all.
Advocacy and Congregational Engagement with Pastor Russell
Alongside his faith community and other Beacon congregations Rev. Dr. B. Charvez Russell, Senior Pastor at Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, defended supportive housing saying, “Having shelter is a basic right. It is something that stabilizes the community… I think everybody who needs housing should have housing, and we have enough resources in our city and our state to do that. We can be a model for the country.”
It’s advocates like Pastor Russell who light up the Beacon community by taking their advocacy to the next level. Stepping into this role proved that when committed individuals show up to speak boldly in favor of our shared values, we can have a big impact not just on policy, but on people who witness this action and are inspired to do the same.
Living Generously with Peace Lutheran Church
When Peace Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minnesota, came to the difficult conclusion of closing its doors, the congregation made a decision that ensured its legacy would live on in the community. A $100,000 gift to Beacon from the sale of their church building was one of ten gifts distributed to mission-driven organizations.
This generous gift has helped Beacon create and sustain supportive homes in Plymouth and across the Twin Cities metro. “While it was challenging to come to terms with closing our congregation, it has brought us so much joy to know that this conclusion will allow so many lives to be changed,” said Valerie Sorenson, member of the Peace Lutheran discernment committee.
On delivering letters to Sen. Tina Smith to defend funding for supportive housing…
“Our [housing justice] team was excited to take an action because being in community is the antidote to despair and isolation! And I’ll tell you – people showed up en masse to add their names.” – Dayna Kennedy, member of Unity Church Unitarian
Consolidated Statement of Activities
Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Revenues and Support
Consolidated Expenses to Create, Sustain, and Advocate for Home
Fiscal Year 2025 Expenses
Board of Directors July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025
Nancy Burns (Chair)
Secretary, Retired, Biotechnology, Oncology
TJ Ticey (Vice Chair)
Community Volunteer
Tom Rock (Treasurer)
At-large, Retired Attorney
Linda Sandvig (Secretary)
Community Volunteer
Charlie Flynn (At-large)
Owner/Founder, Francis King Ltd
Daymond Dean
Community Volunteer
Theresa Dolata
Community Volunteer
Joanna Dornfield
Vice President and Chief of Staff, Allina Health System
Adam Duininck
CEO of Mpls Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District
Rev. Lisa Friedman
Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka
Rev. James Gertmenian
Ex Officio, Retired Senior Minister, Plymouth Congregational Church
Liam Higgins
Senior Vice President Nonprofit Banking, Associated Bank
Jeff Huggett
Vice President and Project Partner at Dominium Development
Cavonte Johnson
Mortenson
Hal Reynolds
CEO, Disinvested Youth Gaming Initiative
Rebecca Sales
Co-Director, Minnesota Homeless Study, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
Sadia Tarannum
Senior Product Owner, Surescripts
Chris Thompson
Target Corporate Financial Planning, Target
Let’s Make Home Possible, Together
Your generosity fuels lasting change.
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?
