Carlson School Alum Leads Shelter Project in Minneapolis

Steve Horsfield, ’03 MHRIR, started his career in the corporate sector, working for a health insurance company. In that time, he volunteered at Habitat for Humanity and other housing-related nonprofits—where he observed firsthand the challenges of homelessness.

Horsfield’s desire to do more shifted his career path, eventually landing him the executive director role at Simpson Housing Services in Minneapolis. Through this work, Horsfield aims to combat homelessness and the many misconceptions surrounding the issue. One misconception is that all unhoused people are unemployed. In fact, more than a few of the guests at Simpson’s shelter have jobs, but they still can’t afford the rising costs of entry to the housing market, Horsfield says.

Another misconception is that little can be done to help.

“I just could never understand it,” Horsfield reflects. “We live in a country where we need to take better care of each other. We can do better.”

Simpson’s mission is to support people who are experiencing and transitioning out of homelessness—and the nonprofit’s capabilities to help are about to improve. A $47 million Build-Up Campaign led to starting construction of a four-level facility, slated to be completed in November 2025. The building will have 42 units of supportive housing, which Horsfield says are designed to help people transition into independent living. These units are in addition to 72 shelter beds with onsite services for shorter stays.

Simpson Housing Services, which Horsfield says had an operating budget of about $6 million when he started in 2012 and is now at more than $13 million, also operates supportive housing programs for single adults and families, with added programs including literacy and mentoring services for children. In addition to the new shelter and housing building, the campaign is funding a new program site near the Minneapolis Farmers Market that accommodates on-site access to many of these resources.

“We are trying to help break cycles of generational poverty and homelessness,” he explains. “Different people have different needs and our teams walk alongside, providing support on pathways to stability.”

The success stories of Simpson Housing Services are many, Horsfield says. “And you see the effects over time. Just as one example, a participant in supportive housing moved on to a more stable housing situation with her kids about 20 years ago. She went on to get her college degree and her post-secondary degree and came back to serve on our board of directors. Now she works in services of the type she used to once access. Lives really can turn around.”

Working at Simpson has had its effect on Horsfield’s life as well.

“To break bread with guests in our shelter, to get a chance to know them and learn from them, to be around people who work here because they care so much,” he says, “it’s incredibly meaningful.”

He credits his education at the Carlson School of Management with aiding him in his present role. “I would not have anticipated how much Carlson prepared me for leadership roles,” he reflects. “The most important resources are the people who are working here, and a lot of how I approach management comes from my experiences at Carlson.”

Beyond the relationship-building, he also points to the foundational business background his degree provided.

“Just one example of a strong course that time and time again showed value was Managerial Accounting,” he shares. “It immersed me in balance sheets, income statements, and corporate finance. … Finance is not my primary function, but having that footing is just tremendously valuable.”

To Horsfield, completing Simpson’s newest building will be not only a life bridge for many unhoused people but also a symbol of how far the organization has come in how it can help. Still, near the precipice of this achievement, he hopes to be put out of work.

“I mean this by homelessness coming to an end,” he says. “I believe it’s possible if we are more proactive in improving the policies and systems that are necessary to support more of our community in stable housing. Until then, we’ll keep fighting, because housing is a basic human right.”

Top image is courtesy of Scott Streble