Simpson Housing Services Records

Founded in 1982 in the basement of Simpson United Methodist Church (2740 1st Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408), Simpson Housing Services (SHS) is a nonprofit organization and emergency shelter that provides assistance to people experiencing homelessness in the Twin Cities. The majority of their service recipients are living in Hennepin County. Since 1982, SHS has offered a breadth of betterment and improvement programming focused on providing shelter, rehabilitation, and ongoing counseling to those experiencing homelessness. SHS’s “Kids First” program involves after-school childcare, student events, and field trips. SHS also works to increase visibility and understanding of homelessness, distributing a quarterly newsletter and organizing a yearly Homeless Memorial Service and March, where participants carry signs with the names of those who have died while homeless.

SHS is led by a small core team of employees, an executive board of directors, and a network of volunteers. SHS often works with community organizations and local companies including realty firms and mortgage banking providers for fundraising events (silent auctions, comedy nights, donation drives) and more direct volunteer events (sandwich-making crews, cleaning teams, food drives).

In 2019, Simpson Housing Services became the official owner of the Simpson United Methodist Church building. They plan to tear down the existing structure to build a 5-story shelter with offices more suited to the needs of those they help and their employees.