Being a 57-year-old, I’ve learned patience and acceptance in my life. At Cochran [House], I appreciate having meals, a bed to sleep in and a place to live. It’s hard to establish goals at my age because I'm not sure what my options are. I’ve learned to get by on my $92 a month, but I have no incentive to get a part-time job as the earnings from it have to go right back into the house. As sad as it sounds, it’s easier to read, do crossword puzzles and do volunteer work, [than it is] to look for a documented (taxable) part-time job. Hastings is a nice town but it’s a tough place to find a full-…

Richard's whole life has been distilled into two suitcases and a trash bag. That's all the 57-year-old has in the world after 10 months of homelessness. But he makes no excuses. When asked how his life led him from the safety of a home in a small southern Minnesota town to the Cochran House in Hastings, he keeps it simple. "Mistakes I made in my past," he says. A casual observer would not know that Richard is homeless. He is clean-shaven, with a trim haircut and a business-like demeanor. His T-shirt is impeccably white and neatly tucked in to his blue jean shorts, which have clearly been …

Dakota Woodlands is a homeless shelter with supportive programming for single women and families located in Eagan, Minn. It is the only women’s homeless shelter in Dakota County and serves over 100 households each year.It is a common reaction for Dakota County residents to be surprised that there is a homeless shelter in Eagan. Perhaps it's even more surprising to learn that Dakota Woodlands' residents are from Dakota County!People have pre-disposed beliefs about who is homeless and don’t realize it may be their co-worker, neighbor or even relative. There is a general lack of understanding of…

Anna Richardson needed a wake-up call. For 10 years, Richardson had been hooked on methamphetamine—only stopping for brief periods when she was pregnant with her two daughters. In all that time, she never held a job, preferring to sell the meth made by her live-in partner. But when police raided her home in 2010, Richardson's life came crashing down. What followed was a spiral of court dates, continued drug use and meetings with a social worker that ultimately culminated in the loss of the 26-year-old Apple Valley resident's child-custody rights. Richardson, unable to make more money selling …

For those who imagine homelessness as cardboard signs and people loitering on streets, homelessness in the suburbs can be a completely different picture. Housing programs and shelters stretched beyond capacity leave the majority of struggling households to move in with friends or family, in a less visible form of homelessness known as “couch hopping” or “doubling-up.”Homelessness in Dakota County is reportedly up 20 percent from last year; a point-in-time count conducted last January found over 1,000 people experiencing homelessness across the county. Over half were families with children.…

From the perspective of Neighbors, Inc., it seems that the problem of homelessness is larger than many people in the community realize. A lot of attention is given to metropolitan areas, but the suburbs of the Twin Cities also have a rather large homeless population as well. The problem tends to be less visible in the suburbs because homeless individuals tend to float from one shelter to another or stay with friends. In the suburbs “doubling up,” a situation where many individuals or families stay in the homes of others, is prevalent. These people are not always counted or recognized as …

Editor's Note: Homelessness rates in Dakota County and other suburban communities in Minnesota have risen substantially in the last five years. This letter to the editor is part of a Patch series exploring that trend. Click on the links below to read other articles on the topic. Aug. 13 Look Beneath the Stereotypes Surrounding Homelessness After Losing Job, 52-Year-Old Grandfather Struggles to Get Back on His Feet Layoff Leads to Homelessness and Drugs, Redemption for Eagan Woman Suburban Homelessness on the Rise, Local Leaders Say Aug. 14 Guest Column: Homeless Grandfather Grapples with Self…

Having a safe and affordable place to live is an essential component for people to be stable and greatly improves their ability to get a job. Since her election in 2010, Rep. Diane Anderson has been working on obtaining state funding for homelessness with an emphasis on prevention and helping people get back on their feet as soon as possible. There are many nonprofit organizations that do a great job helping people who are homeless. The state of Minnesota also has several programs to help people who are homeless.    The Emergency Services Program provides short-term shelter and support …

It is estimated that on any given night in Dakota County, there are nearly 1,000 people dealing with homelessness or extreme housing instability. This number may seem staggering to some because the problem isn’t always visible. Homelessness in the suburbs can look very different from the homelessness seen in larger metropolitan areas. In the suburbs, many people who are homeless are doubling up, or temporarily sharing housing with other families. This makes it harder to determine the true number of homeless families and individuals living in Dakota County.Since 2009, the homeless population …

Chris Belmont has a sixth sense for knowing which Burnsville Alternative High School students are homeless. "It's amazing how it manifests itself in the school. I can see a kid and tell that they're in crisis—it's just the look: They're literally in a state of panic," said Belmont, the associate principal at the alternative high school. "The only thing I can compare it to is if you were in foreign country and had lost your passport. That is how they're acting." Belmont's experience is unusual. For most school administrators and faculty, identifying homeless students is a challenge. "How do …

How I feel about being homeless! I know l don’t look homeless. I’m not pushing a shopping cart with all my possessions in it. Dirty and unkept. But when I walk down the street I feel like people look at me like that. I know it's because of the way I feel about myself. It's not a very good feeling! Shameful, lazy. But I'm not. I'm a single parent that raised my daughter with love and respect. We always had a clean, comfortable home. Margaret did so good in school that in August of this year she’s going to graduate from nursing school. [She] has been happily married for five years and I'm the …

As the Development and Marketing Director of The Link, which provides supportive services to formerly homeless youth living at Lincoln Place in Eagan, I am often asked how the residents (18-24) became homeless. As we know, the reasons are complex. But for one-third of the residents the reason is simple; upon turning 18 years of age, they automatically age out of the foster care system. This means that the youth's foster family no longer receives a stipend for having the foster child live with the family. Without financial support, many of the foster families terminate their support with the …

Marcy Thomas sat for a moment staring at a ceiling fan above her chair. A tear was streaking down her cheek as she fought to regain her voice. Midway through a story about her battle with homelessness and drugs, that lonely tear was symbolic of the emptiness she felt in her life at her lowest point, she said. Thomas starts her story again.  "I remember being at a friend's house on the Fourth of July in 2007, I think. I was sitting in this cozy little lawn chair, a cocktail in the cupholder of the arm rest. As I sat there, I heard kids laughing in the yard, the sweet smell of barbecue coming …

  Kenny Johnson’s homeless shelter is usually quiet in the summer—but that changes in the winter, when the 46-person house fills up to capacity and dozens more put their names on the shelter’s waitlist. That sort of demand isn’t unusual, said Johnson, a former drug addict and homeless person who found his calling as the coordinator for the Cochran House—a shelter in Hastings that caters to men who are recovering from substance abuse. The house opened in February 2010, and each winter since the opening, Johnson has been forced to turn away prospective residents. The Cochran House isn’t alone. …

John looks like a typical blue-collar worker. He favors blue jeans and T-shirts and hunting caps. He's got a gritty edge to his voice from smoking, gray hair and an affable way about him. He looks just like any other guy eating in a local diner or driving a truck at a construction site. Indeed, until recently, John was one of them.  In spring of 2011, John—a single father whose daughter will soon graduate from nursing school—was fired from his job as a lead man in a lead smelting plant, a position he's held for years. In any other economy, at any other time, the loss of his job could have …