Forum this week to spotlight regional approach to homelessness

Homelessness might not be as visible in the depths of winter, but it’s still a major focus in Sioux Falls and the broader region.

A first-of-its-kind event this week is bringing leaders together for a Regional Homelessness Forum, featuring Matt Althoff, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Social Services, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken, Minnehaha County Commissioner Dean Karsky and Larissa Deedrich, executive director of Sioux Falls Housing.

The hope is to spotlight the efforts government entities at all levels are putting into the issues, TenHaken said.

“The reality is our homelessness population has grown at a greater rate than our overall population in recent years,” he said. “This forum is one way we can confront why that’s happening and discuss ways to realistically address that trend alongside the community.” 

The forum will begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Orpheum Theater. It’s free and open to the public, with no registration required. To learn more, click here.

The city will participate in an annual count attempting to quantify the homeless population later this month. Last year’s national count found that more than 771,000 people were experiencing homelessness across the U.S. — the highest ever recorded and an 18 percent increase from 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

With an estimated count of 610 last year in Sioux Falls, new efforts this season have centered on addressing the needs of families.

In October, people started moving into the new Bishop Dudley Center for Families, a dedicated space for those experiencing homelessness. It’s inside the former Children’s Inn at 409 N. Western Ave. and has space for 10 families, plus indoor and outdoor play areas for children, a homework/job search lab, a large dining room and family gathering space.

The Union Gospel Mission at 701 E. Eighth St. will cut the ribbon Jan. 30 for its third-floor Family Center, which was funded by donations. It will house up to 45 people, or up to 80 with cots when needed, and is designed for families with boys older than 12.

In the 2024 Homelessness Assessment Report from HUD, people with children had the largest single increase, Union Gospel Mission CEO Eric Weber said.

“Our response must be to provide not just shelter but a means for these families to overcome barriers to stability and success,” he said. “We couldn’t do what we do without the support of this very generous community.”

The city has enough capacity for winter, said Michelle Treasure, the city’s homeless coordinator.

“There’s not a need for another shelter or a warming site or anything like that,” she said. “They’re full — don’t get me wrong — but this isn’t new to them, and they’re equipped to handle these types of circumstances, and they’re working together to figure out solutions for people.”

The forum on homelessness is a good opportunity to show how varieties entities within the city and county are collaborating around the issue, she added.

“There’s a lot of collaboration that happens at the nonprofit stage — boots on the ground — and you don’t necessarily hear about the collaboration happening at the leadership level,” she said. “Anytime I have conversations with providers, most of the time all of them are very open and willing to discuss new ideas, new solutions. Everyone is in it for the same reason.”

Sioux Falls is seeing individuals who lack housing come from across the Midwest, she added.

“Our data has slowed down a little bit from so many states. It’s pretty narrowed down to a good chunk of … Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota, those surrounding regional states,” Treasure said. “But we also know people are coming from within our state … the Brookings and Mitchells, so bringing the mayor and Secretary Althoff to get a broader-view perspective of what we’re doing from the state level down, to collaboration and finding solutions was really the goal of this event.”

The city also is working with resources downtown to prepare for warmer months ahead, she added.

“We know once the weather turns nice we’re going to be faced with some of the same challenges potentially, so how do we just be more proactive and get the community prepared, get the business owners prepared down here and educate as to who to call (if there are issues),” Treasure said. “We’re constantly trying to be prepared and equipped for whatever comes.”