West Creek supportive housing has housed 19 young adults in first six months, county and partners say

Carver County officials and service partners told the county board at a work session that West Creek, a 19-unit supportive housing building for 18- to 29-year-olds who have experienced homelessness, has housed 19 individuals and is nearly full six months after opening.

"It is a 19 unit building that, serves youth 18 to 29 years old who have experienced homelessness," said Susie Meisel, director of housing and emergency services for CAP Agency, which provides case management and on-site support at West Creek. Meisel said 18 units were occupied at the time of the update and that CAP supervises a live-in position for on-site coverage.

The project matters because it targets long-term homeless young adults with on-site case management and partnerships intended to stabilize residents and connect them to jobs and benefits. Carver County Health and Human Services Director Heather Goodwin credited county staff, CAP Agency and private partners for bringing the project online and said the effort blends housing supports with workforce and financial-assistance services.

Meisel described the referral and move-in process as operating through the coordinated entry system, an assessment-and-prioritization process used by multiple counties. She said the coordinated entry list across Scott, Carver, Anoka, Dakota and Washington counties included more than 600 people of varying ages, and when pared to the 18-to-29, long-term-homeless, disabled subgroup roughly 40 eligible youth were offered the West Creek opportunity. "By the time the project was maybe 3 quarters of the way full, we had offered that opportunity to every single youth on the list," CAP staff said during the presentation.

Commissioners asked about the county residency of tenants. Meisel said nine of the 19 residents "have ties or were originally from Carver County." Board members discussed whether county projects should prioritize local residents; county staff and CAP said priority managers process the single coordinated entry list in order and must follow fair-housing requirements for general openings, but projects located outside urban centers often self-select more local applicants because those residents can view units more quickly.

Partners and services at the site include Premier, the property-management company; an on-site pantry stocked by Bountiful Baskets; Jasper Library providing a bookshelf and rotating titles; Project Life Cycle donating bicycles; SOAR advocates for Social Security benefits assistance; Southwest Prime and CareerForce for transportation and workforce connections; and local law enforcement contacts. Meisel described weekly meetings between residents and case managers, monthly unit inspections and a person-centered, trauma-informed case-management approach.

Staffing and benefits-connection were listed as the main operational challenges. Meisel said the program has experienced turnover filling a 24/7 front-desk model and reported one mutual lease termination for a resident with mental-health needs that could not be met at West Creek. She also said connecting eligible residents to Social Security benefits has been difficult but that CAP and partners are working through the process.

Commissioners and CAP highlighted early outcomes: CAP reported that about half the residents have gained employment and one resident is paying full rent. When asked about rent levels, staff confirmed that a resident who is paying full rent is paying $1,000 per month. Board members also noted that the project used federal pandemic-recovery/ARPA funding and that county officials later reported the building holds no debt.

Board members and CAP discussed next steps and related projects. Staff said the Carver County Community Development Agency's (CDA) upcoming projects, including Carver Place, will include homeless-designated units filled through coordinated entry; staff emphasized that those projects must follow fair-housing laws and the CDA's interest and priority lists. CAP staff said they have begun conversations with the CDA about housing-trust programs that might provide an affordable next step for residents who move on from West Creek.

Meisel and Goodwin closed by noting community response and outreach: CAP is now located on Second Street and staff planned to present a similar update to Chaska Rotary; both Goodwin and CAP offered to share a one-page six-month snapshot with commissioners.

Less-critical details: county commissioners thanked private developers and nonprofit partners repeatedly; commissioners who spoke included Uttermann, Fahey, Anderson, Lynch and others who asked questions about residency, staffing and long-term pathways to employment and housing.