Breaking Free

Permanent Supportive Housing Our Permanent Supportive Housing Program (PSH) is located at three different apartment buildings located throughout St. Paul. These buildings are master leased by Breaking Free, and we then rent the apartments to program participants. Collectively this program is called "Village Place". Between these buildings we have 17 2-BR units for families, and 13 1-BR units for single adults. This program will be relocating to a safer, more dignified housing alternative in the early fiscal year 2024. Breaking Free also provides scattered-site subsidized housing opportunities in partnership with an organization called Hearth Connection. Through this program Breaking Free can provide housing to an additional 15-20 households. Additionally, later this year we are further expanding our housing capacity through a new partnership with the Suburban Metro Area Counties Continuum of Care. This program will allow us to serve 15 single adults in the Twin Cities suburban metro area with a primary focus on Washington and Anoka counties.Our housing advocates assist participants with accessing community support including financial assistance, employment resources, educational programs, mental health, and chemical health services. During the past year, the average length of tenancy for the residents at Village Place was 2 years and 6 months. During this same timeframe Breaking Free provided housing services to 40 households which includes a total of 45 adults and 46 children.

Outreach - Breaking Free currently participates in two different anti-trafficking street outreach initiatives. Our outreach team works to identify individuals who are unsheltered and at risk of exploitation. The goal of outreach is to build relationships with vulnerable individuals and provide them with access to resources, stabilization services, and housing. Our outreach efforts cover Ramsey County as well as the City of Minneapolis. Our Ramsey County project involves several community partners including the Ramsey County Homeless Response Team and the Metro Transit Homeless Action Team. Our Minneapolis outreach efforts include a partnership with 3 other community-based organizations, as well as the Minneapolis Police Department.

Client Services - Our client services program and drop-in center are the primary entry point to the other services provided by Breaking Free. After completing an intake, the client is assigned an advocate who helps them create a goal plan and make connections to the appropriate resources. In addition to experiencing sexual violence, our clients often face the challenges of poverty, homelessness, chemical dependency, and mental health. This requires us to facilitate comprehensive services for addressing each of these barriers. Breaking Free staff provide information and referrals to services and community support, and the role of the advocate is to assist clients in navigating these systems.Our programming includes a 14-week educational support group called Sisters of Survival. This class is facilitated by Breaking Free staff and offers a space for women to share their experiences. Participants receive information about the dynamics of sex trafficking and other forms of violence against women and girls and underscores that sex trafficking is a slave-based system. This forum helps participants to assess the impact victimization has had on them personally while teaching skills to help victims move forward with their lives. The group also addresses issues related to addiction, trauma, and recovery.Upon graduation from the SOS program, survivors are encouraged to join the alumni support group. Our Alumni Group involves weekly meetings with topics including relationship issues, building self-esteem, financial literacy, parenting skills, health care, volunteering, employment, education, and other relevant topics. Throughout our programming we focus on empowering our clients to achieve their maximum potential.