New Foundations is a small non-profit, permanent, supportive housing community that provides an essential foundation to our most vulnerable population. Founded in 1994, New Foundations works in partnership with homeless families and with the community to create a housing community where parents achieve education and employment goals, strengthen families, build relationships, and contribute to the community. Children reunite with parents, and each child gets support and nurturing to enhance emotional and physical health, succeed in school, develop friendships, connect with community, and believe in the future.

New Foundations is committed to providing supportive housing that models and nurtures a vibrant, healthy community, recognizes and reinforces family strengths, diversity, cultural values and traditions, and establishes supportive, trusting relationships.

INSPIRATION
What inspires our supportive housing program? Our families, as they emerge from homelessness to stability at New Foundations. Many of our families have had multiple episodes of homelessness and for some, New Foundations is the first home they have ever had. We give parents and children hope and a positive outlook for their future. Residents can set and achieve goals. They are hopeful and they have a vision for their future, from owning a house one day to graduating from college. We continue to be inspired by our community members who have overcome multiple barriers and challenges that at one time limited their opportunities. Today, the opportunities are abundant and give inspiration, hope and happiness for the future.

HOPE
At New Foundations, we restore hope, create community and transform lives. The comprehensive services of recovery and health, education and employment, children’s services, community building and public advocacy are necessary for families to continue the promise of family and housing stability. Our families have faced multiple barriers that inhibit their ability to maintain housing, economic stability and care for their children. An immediate effect of moving into New Foundations is stable housing, family reunification and community.

HAPPINESS
What is it like for a homeless child? It is like taking the innocence and happiness of being a child and turning them into anxiety, fear and distress. One in fifty children in the United States is homeless. In 2007-2008, the nation’s 14,000 public school districts counted more than 780,000 homeless students, a 15 percent increase from the previous year and in 2009 the prediction is that it is over one million. The children of New Foundations experience the stability of the same school, teachers and friends. Parents are involved with the school and attend conferences and activities.

Angela's Story
“My name is Angela; I am a 40 year old woman who loves her new life. I was raised in Chicago Illinois, in a housing project. At age 16 I left home to escape abuse and got involved with a man who controlled my life for the next 23 years with physical and mental abuse. I did not know that I had some mental illness issues. I just thought I was unworthy of happiness. When you are being told constantly that you will never amount to anything after a while you tend to believe it. I wanted to be happy but didn’t know how so I turned to drugs. My habit started to take over my life. I was in a no win situation.

The drugs weren’t making me happy neither was the man. Eventually I became tired of the abuse and wanted out. I moved to Minnesota with my 2 smaller children. I was still abusing drugs and we were homeless. I went to treatment, but after treatment, we were still homeless. We went to a homeless shelter and stayed for six weeks.

The shelter told me about New Foundations. I could not believe that a place like this existed. I could live in my own apartment with my children and get help for me and my children. Since I moved into New Foundations I have been drug free for 7 months, I am no longer in an abusive relationship, because my domestic violence class has taught me about boundaries. My children feel safe for the first time in a long time. I am receiving help from my therapist to help me deal with my depression, anxiety and P.T.S.D. I feel great. I also found out what I want to be and that is a writer. I wrote my first short story and it will be published September 2010 in the St. Paul almanac. Being here at New Foundations has shown me that I can be a productive citizen, a great mom and a taxpayer. I love this place. There is nowhere else in the world that I would want to be at this stage of my life.”