Building Stability for Minneapolis Youth
Our 68 kW solar project on the roof of Nicollet Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for individuals, families, and youth experiencing homelessness. To combat housing instability, service providers and community organizations must employ an intentional approach that meets people where they are.
According to policy and research nonprofit Voices of Youth Count, one in ten youth in the U.S. experience homelessness unaccompanied by a parent or guardian and are subjected to navigating housing instability on their own; that's an estimated 3.5 million young adults experiencing homelessness annually. In Minnesota, where winters are long and harsh, estimates reveal that 35% of the state’s homeless population are young adults and children. Fortunately, places like Nicollet Square offer permanent homes for youth aged 16 to 21 transitioning out of homelessness.
“With reduced utility costs, we can better support this vital community and so enhance the resident experience.”
Owned and managed by Minneapolis-based nonprofit Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, Nicollet Square is one of four apartment buildings in Beacon’s housing portfolio that provide permanent supportive housing to youth in need. Nicollet Square is uniquely structured to support its residents beyond housing; they provide residents with their own apartment lease, a flat rent regardless of income, and on-site programs to support employment and education. The goal is that residents and participants leave Nicollet Square feeling empowered and secure in taking their next step beyond the program.
When Beacon was exploring ways to provide additional support to residents at Nicollet Square, installing solar offered a solution that would deliver meaningful energy savings to the organization and its tenants. In partnership with Minneapolis-based solar developer Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF) – who envisions a future where people own, manage, and use clean energy systems for all of our collective benefit – Sunwealth developed a total of seven rooftop solar projects at Nicollet Square totaling 68 kW.
“We have worked hard to find a way to make solar energy available to folks who haven't had access before. The Nicollet Square project is one of CEF's many Affordable Solar projects that demonstrate how to greatly increase participation in renewable energy solutions,” said Timothy Denherder-Thomas, General Manager at CEF. “Beacon Interfaith and Sunwealth have been vital partners in bringing solar benefits to residents of affordable housing and showing what equitable and community-based solutions to the climate crisis can look like.”
Sunwealth and CEF are actively developing a portfolio of solar projects to benefit low-income communities in Minnesota. The values-aligned partnership is leveraging our collective power to build a better clean energy future for our communities.
At Nicollet Square, the owner pays the utility bills for individual residents; while the roof hosts multiple projects, the owner receives the financial benefit for the entire set of systems. The project is split into different systems to capture the full solar potential of the roof and deliver the maximum benefit to Beacon. The projects will save Beacon nearly 30% on their electric bill, totaling $142,000 in energy savings over the projects' lifetime that can be reinvested into Nicollet Square and improve their capacity to deliver on their mission of supporting Minneapolis youth.
When asked what these savings mean, Kevin Walker, Vice President for Housing Development at Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, indicated that “with reduced utility costs, we can better support this vital community and so enhance the resident experience. Achieving this via locally produced clean energy contributes to a better future for all of us.”
Interested in learning more about partnering with Sunwealth?