Sleep Out Campaign Rallies Community Around Housing For Low-Income Families

IOCP is launching its 2007 Sleep Out Campaign to raise awareness around the need for affordable housing and to raise funds to address the housing needs of low-income families in the western suburbs. The kickoff event, which will be held Saturday, November 10, 2007, at Klapprich Park in Wayzata, attracts hundreds of community members of all ages and is followed by several sleep outs by area businesses, churches, schools, and groups.

In its 12th year, the campaign runs from Saturday, November 10, to Sunday, December 23. This year’s goal is $1.5 million, and the theme is “Hope and Homes for All.”

“The money this community donates during The Sleep Out is absolutely critical,” said LaDonna Hoy, IOCP executive director. “It represents our housing budget for the coming year. The money we raised last year—more than $1.5 million—allowed us to help families in our community who didn’t have other options.”

As part of its housing strategy, IOCP has made creating housing options for the people it serves a top priority. “The most visible impact Sleep Out funds have had are 54 units of affordable housing we completed this past year,” Hoy added. IOCP partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build two twin homes in Wayzata. In Plymouth, IOCP partnered with CommonBond Communities to develop 50 rental townhomes that are affordable to low-income families.

The Kickoff

The kickoff event is November 10 and runs from 6 to 8 p.m. The program will feature Sleep Out founder Bob Fisher and LaDonna Hoy. Mike Pomeranz, anchor for Kare 11, will emcee the event. Twins great Tony Oliva will be the special guest.

The event is free and everyone is welcome. Panera and Chipotle are donating food, and Tapestry, Wayzata Community Church’s contemporary worship band, will provide music. There will be a variety of activities for people of all ages.

Klapprich Park is located at 300 E. Wayzata Boulevard, just east of Wayzata West Middle School, in Wayzata. Parking is available across the street in the Park and Ride lot.

Following the kickoff, representatives from area businesses will gather at the park for the first-ever business sleep out. Participants include Anchor Bank, Business and Estate Advisors, Coldwell Banker Burnet, Edina Realty, Flagship Bank, Graham Jewelers, Otten Brothers, TCF Bank, and U.S. Energy Services.

History of The Sleep Out

In 1996, local shoe repairman Bob Fisher held a winter sleep out to raise $7,000 to buy Thanksgiving dinners for 100 families IOCP served. Fisher repeated the sleep out in subsequent years, dedicating funds raised to help meet the housing needs of families in the community. During the 11-year history of The Sleep Out, more than 3,200 community members have donated $7.6 million to support IOCP’s housing efforts.

Striving to Meet Clients’ Housing Needs

Adequate, affordable housing is a need nearly all of the people IOCP serves face. In its 2006–07 fiscal year, IOCP provided emergency housing assistance 2,268 times to avert housing crises for 706 families. Within those families were 2,107 individuals. Yet each year IOCP runs out of funds budgeted for housing assistance by the 10th of each month and must turn away approximately 400 worthy requests annually.

IOCP also works toward long-term housing solutions for the families it serves. In 2005–06, IOCP prevented 6 families from losing their homes to foreclosure and provided ongoing rental assistance to 12 families while they worked to upgrade their income.