DOC says prison-to-homelessness down 57% since 2021
The Minnesota Department of Corrections says the number of people leaving prison and becoming homeless has fallen 57% since 2021.[1]
The agency credited a homelessness-prevention program with the decline.[1] The Legislature has provided $500,000 per year for the work, and the program housed about 800 formerly incarcerated people in 2025.[1] Placements include halfway houses, sober homes and apartments.[1] One example is the No Luck Club in St. Paul, which houses about 15 men who must meet sobriety and employment requirements.[1]
In 2021 the DOC launched the homelessness-prevention program to connect people leaving prison with housing placements.[1] The DOC says it cannot track recidivism for program participants, so it cannot say how many reoffend after being housed.[1]
At the same time, St. Paul has been clearing large encampments such as Pig's Eye, where many residents have criminal records that make housing harder to obtain.[1] Advocates and officials say the drop in homelessness among people leaving prison is a sign of progress, but the lack of recidivism tracking and persistent housing barriers mean the program's full impact remains unclear.
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📌 Key Facts
- Since 2021, a DOC homelessness-prevention program claims a 57% drop in people leaving prison and becoming homeless.
- The Legislature has provided $500,000 per year for this DOC work, which housed about 800 formerly incarcerated people in 2025.
- Placements include halfway houses, sober homes and apartments; the No Luck Club in St. Paul is one example, housing about 15 men with sobriety and employment requirements.
- DOC concedes it does not track recidivism for program participants, so it cannot say how many reoffend after being housed.
- St. Paul is simultaneously clearing large encampments like Pig’s Eye, where many residents have criminal records that make housing harder to obtain.
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