Interfaith Outreach Gears Up for 27th Sleep Out Season

Human service nonprofit puts focus on housing costs – and introduces a community challenge

PLYMOUTH, Minnesota – Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners, a Plymouth-MN based human service organization, is gearing up for its 27^th Sleep Out effort (Nov. 14 – Dec. 11) with a timely theme: housing instability and unaffordability.

“Housing costs are a major issue in our service area, and for our clients,” says Interfaith’s Executive Director Kevin Ward. “Housing is typically considered affordable when it’s within 30% of a household’s annual income. For the average Interfaith client, rent or mortgage costs make up around 58% of their income. It’s just not sustainable,” Ward explains.

Since 1995, Interfaith has raised awareness and funds for homelessness prevention during its Sleep Out effort. This has often been promoted in the form of a “sleep out,” where individuals or groups sleep in tents, boxes or other conditions that simulate the experience of someone without shelter.

This year, Interfaith is focusing the Sleep Out on how the organization helps clients handle issues that can lead to eviction or homelessness – like low wages or lack of access to transportation to their job – so they can stay in their homes, their neighborhoods, and their schools.

“By providing holistic services, Interfaith helps people right here, right now, at risk of eviction or homelessness. We can and do work with organizations or developers to create more affordable rental units in our community, but unfortunately that doesn’t happen overnight,” Ward says.

Community Challenge

In addition to raising funds to support Interfaith programs, this year’s Sleep Out also includes a community challenge: to reach 526 Sleep Out participants. The number 526 represents each housing-related financial assist Interfaith made last year to prevent eviction or homelessness.

“We hope this number adds even more meaning to the Sleep Out activities our supporters have been holding since its earliest years. It shows that we provided the equivalent of more than one housing assist a day. Essentially every day last year, we kept someone in their home,” Ward says.

To participate in the community challenge, the public is welcome pick up a Sleep Out sign and commemorative sticker starting Nov. 1 at Interfaith’s office located at 1605 County Road 101 N, Plymouth, MN 55447. Participants are encouraged to place the signs by Nov. 7 to help spread the word before Sleep Out officially begins on Nov. 14.

“Interfaith absolutely cannot do its important work without the involvement of our generous community,” says Ward.

To learn more or support Interfaith’s 2022 Sleep Out, visit iocp.org/thesleepout.