Our residents are building stable lives.

Who we’ve served

Nineteen female and non-binary young adults lived at Onward House from 2018 through 2024.

• They came to us from Eden Prairie, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Excelsior and other neighboring suburbs, as well as Minneapolis.

• They are racially diverse and come from many cultural and religious backgrounds.

• Each was at risk for long-term homelessness when they arrived.

While they were here

The goal of living at Onward House is to gain the strength, skills and confidence needed to live independently. Here are the kinds of things that happen along the way.

• Several residents earned degrees and started careers. We celebrated graduations from:

  • High school

  • A two-year college program

  • A nursing program

  • A professional apprenticeship program

• One resident purchased a car and offered driving lessons to two of the other residents who have permits.

• Everyone had a chance to practice adulting skills, doing things like:

  • Caring for their mental and physical health.

  • Learning to cook and live in community.

  • Growing savings and building credit.

  • Establishing healthy relationships with roommates, family members, teachers and colleagues.

After they move out

We offer residents a year of aftercare services to help ease the transition when they move out of Onward House. During that time, we help with:

• Resume and job interview prep

• Talking through challenging work and life situations

• Other issues that arise

We are building a network of Onward alums. Their feedback is important to us. It will help us measure our long-term impact and improve our operations.

Read about resident stories and successes in our blog