New Services Available

 A passion project at HumanKind has been researching Reasonable Accommodations as they relate to housing. After exhaustive research, classes and conversations I have put together some material to share with others. The slides containing much of my research can be found on the Reasonable Accommodation Information page. This page will be updated often with ways these may be helpful in our work. 

As I have learned more and continue to share with our community, I have decided to add consulting services as a way to provide the most assistance possible. To learn more about Reasonable Accommodation Consultation services visit this page. 

Another great resource for providers is the monthly Provider meeting put on by Shakir Consulting and 360 Housing Stability. To learn more visit: https://fb.me/e/1yV9tnnka and join the HSS Provider group on facebook at: MN HSS Providers Collaboration

Month One

 HumanKind has officially completed the first month of full service! What a wild ride it has been. What's coming down the pipeline next?

Office Space; Having a space to meet with clients who may not have somewhere for meetings to take place is top of the list. Renting meeting space is quite expensive, we are searching for an office centrally located to make it easy for all clients to access as needed. 

Grant Program; The community engagement grant program is high on the list for us. I'm hoping no later than Summer 2023 we will be providing grants to clients for things like: community ed classes, hobbies, museums, festivals etc. Each month there will be a certain amount available and we will fill requests as we are able to. 

Therapy Dog; We will be signing our Springer Spaniel up for therapy dog classes this spring. She will be an added bonus for clients working with us. She has a natural ability to bring peace and joy to every person she meets. 

What does the future hold? Well, we never can tell but we have plans! Transportation, housing and more stabilization case managers are all a part of our big dreams. 

Referrals Officially Open

 

Need help, but don't know where to start?

 HumanKind recently added a menu option "Get Help". On this page you will find a link to a consultation form. So many times, people are struggling and have no idea where to turn; HumanKind wants to help you find options. These consultations are free and we do not bill out any of the time spent; This is being provided because we genuinely believe we all have an obligation to help one another when we are able to. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please reach out! There are people who want to help. 

What's happening at HumanKind?

 Well, here we are a month and a half past my projected start date. Many are wondering what is going on over here; I wish I had a more clear timeline for that answer. 

Getting things situated with DHS has been a daunting process. It seems they are understaffed (not that this is surprising to any of us) and it has lead to 30 day wait periods for every step. Yikes! While I believe I am on final steps, I'm facing more slow downs as I await login information from NetStudy. That has no timeline for when I'll get my login information. Once that's in, it'll be a 7-10 day wait for my background and then I should be submitting final paperwork. What does the wait look like after submitting that paperwork? I'm unsure. I'm greatly hoping it's not another 30 day wait, however I've learned to expect that in this process. 

What's been happening during this wait time? I have been keeping up with clients in between working my side gig to have some income. That's been a lot of juggling and mentally taxing. I've shifted my focus back into housing for more of my brain power as time has allowed recently. I have been working on making connections with people who may be able to help further my Reasonable Accommodation focus. I've attended DOC transition meetings, looked into amazing nonprofits who specialize in this area and attended webinars on Fair Housing. I am working on my Housing Consultation training to add as a service in the near future. I've been reaching out to landlords and keeping an eye on unit openings.  It's been a busy time and I can't wait to be able to focus 100% of my time and energy on housing once again in the near future. 

Bump in the Road

 I received word today that my application for DHS licensing was sent back with corrections needed. I took care of the corrections and resubmitted today (8/29/2022). This means my 30 day wait for approval starts over today. This was a very discouraging moment as I'm very ready to start adding clients to my caseload. 

During this time, I will continue to be working on reaching out to local landlords and property owners to make some new connections in the housing world. I have sent many emails in the last month, hoping to engage a larger network on the many issues HumanKind is working on for clients. I'll keep at it and hopefully we will see some big strides during this next 30 day wait. 

Future

The future of HumanKind Services is full of desire to help in places we have found to be lacking. We hope to begin offering transportation options in the near future. We find that clients outside of the immediate metro can have difficulty with transportation outside of medical needs. We hope to focus on community access and errands as these seem to be the most difficult for clients to find. 

In focusing on niche needs, we look forward to starting a grant program for community activity fees. The program will have a budget each month to fill requests for activities clients may not have the opportunity to attend without help paying fees. Self-care and access to entertainment or hobbies can improve so much for everyone, including our clients. 

And our long range future goal will be purchasing housing to help work on the affordable housing crisis in Minnesota. Housing with affordable rent rates, in good repair and willing to accept subsidies/vouchers are few and far between right now in Minnesota. According to a U of M seminar, as of 2021 we are 100,000 units short of this type of housing in Minnesota. This is a need HumanKind simply cannot ignore. 

Present

 After nine months with a great corporate provider, Savannah realized it was time to yet again step out of the comfort zone. HumanKind Services was born from a desire to be able to focus on the niche parts of service she found there were less resources. Currently, HumanKind has submitted all paperwork to DHS and now there is a waiting period for approval. During this time Savannah has been working on creating the Stabilization Plan HumanKind will utilize as well as all of the other paperwork needed to provide service. The DHS decision should be in by the end of August 2022, leaving only a couple of steps before being able to begin providing services. 

Past

HumanKind Services was born from the belief that every person matters. Savannah spent a decade working in education; countless hours working with kids from birth to teen years and earning a AA degree in Early Childhood from Saint Paul College. When the pandemic hit, the education world was turned upside down. During that time, Savannah was home with her own kids and realized it was time to explore where the career world would take her next. Not wanting to jump into something because it felt "safe", there were months spent looking into careers all over the spectrum. Vet office? Probation? Personal Shopping? None quite feeling a strong draw. In October of 2021 a posting kept pulling her back; Housing Stabilization Coach. What a great role, however this is not something she had any real experience in. Why was it a constant nag in her mind to apply? After many interviews in other fields, none feeling right and leading to her turning down the offers, it became impossible to ignore. From application to interview to training to beginning work, it was an instant connection. The job fit like a glove and felt like it was made for her. In the nine months with the company, there was never a moment of question if this was the career path for her.