Homelessness is not a distant or invisible crisis. It is a daily reality here in St. Paul. On a single night in 2024, more than 1,600 people in Ramsey County did not have a stable place to call home. Of those, nearly 600 were unsheltered, sleeping in cars, tents or on sidewalks. The toll on individuals, families and our entire community is devastating. We must do better.
Homelessness is a shared challenge — and addressing it is a shared opportunity. Businesses have always had both a responsibility and personal stake in caring for their communities. Stable housing leads to increased safety and a stronger local economy. When our neighbors thrive, so do local businesses.
Yes, homelessness is a complex issue rooted in deep systemic inequities, complex funding systems and a range of social and economic barriers. But complexity is not an excuse for inaction. And a bold first step should be ensuring every St. Paul resident has access to a bed when they need it.
Related: Actors bring experiences of homelessness to the stage in zAmya’s ‘Living in America: The Waiting List is Full’
That is why we must prioritize emergency housing services. When combined with mental health counseling, career support and medical care, emergency housing and temporary shelters are among the most effective ways to help people regain stability. Success depends on ensuring these organizations have the necessary resources to support those in need, including reliable funding and skilled professionals on staff. That is how we start on the road to ending homelessness in our city, and eventually across our state — for good.
That is also why Ecolab and our partners created the Homelessness Roundtable — a cross-sector initiative designed to fill a critical gap. The galvanizing force needed to bring together government, policymakers, providers and the business community was missing. Over the past year, the roundtable has become a true convening place: supporting best practices, strengthening existing government agencies like Heading Home Ramsey and creating space for open dialogue and impactful knowledge sharing. It has also helped identify where the private sector has an opportunity to address gaps by advocating for funding and creating much-needed forums for funders and providers like the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.
Our roundtable partners recently toured Catholic Charities, Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities and Listening House, all backbone organizations of our housing safety net here in St. Paul. They urgently need more support. Last year, Minnesota’s affordable housing providers faced operating losses of at least $50 million. The consequences of this underfunding are real.
To help address this challenge, the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, F. R. Bigelow Foundation and Mardag Foundation recently announced the “Our Home State” initiative, which is a five-year, $20 million fund created to help expand access to safe, stable and affordable housing across Minnesota. Ecolab is proud to contribute $3 million to the new fund, which will directly support emergency services by increasing shelter capacity to address the current 600-bed gap, as well as funding job training and workforce programs.
Related: As Trump, Frey evict homeless, Minnesota cities should choose another route
To effectively tackle this shared challenge and realize the corresponding opportunity, we need the St. Paul business community to step up, lead and invest in lasting solutions.
To my fellow local business leaders: I invite you to stand with us in an ambitious effort to end homelessness in St. Paul. You can help by joining the Homelessness Roundtable and contributing to the “Our Home State” initiative. Bring your voice, influence and resources to the table.
Together, let’s make St. Paul the first city where every resident has a safe place to sleep and the resources to build a stable, prosperous future. Let’s make St. Paul a model for other cities across the United States by proving what we can achieve when business, government and community unite around a common goal.
Christophe Beck is chairman and CEO of Ecolab.
The post Ending homelessness in St. Paul: A call to action for the business community appeared first on MinnPost.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
