The document describes the Frequent User Service Enhancement (FUSE) program in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The program targets individuals who frequently use the homeless shelter system and criminal justice system. It places these individuals directly into affordable housing with case management support. A study of six FUSE participants found their system usage dropped significantly from $95,000 in the year before housing to $16,000 the year after, a savings of $13,000 per person. Government costs for the six participants fell from $68,918 before housing to $26,565 after, and their total days of service use dropped from 1,139 days to 55 days.

1. Minneapolis / Hennepin County O ce to End Homelessness
Research, Planning and Development Department
A-2308 Government Center
300 S. 6th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55487-0238
Frequent User Service Enhancement (FUSE) Program
FUSE In 2007, Hennepin County conducted a study which found that 266 individulas used
approximately 70,000 nights of stay in shelter, jail, and detox over five years, costing $4.2
million. As a result, local nonprofit agency St. Stephen’s Human Services created the Frequent
User Service Enhancement program, which began in April 2008 and has housed 41 people to
date. FUSE targets people who are high users of both the single adult shelter system and the
criminal justice system. It uses a “housing first” model that places individuals in affordable
housing with case management first, in order to provide stability before addressing their
other barriers. The program focuses on reducing the involvement of the criminal justice and
other government systems that provide emergency services to people experiencing
homelessness.
As a preliminary examination of the model, six FUSE participants who had been placed in
housing more than one year ago were studied to determine their system use in the year prior
to housing as compared to their year post-housing placement. Use and costs for the Adult
Detention Center, Adult Correctional Facility, county-paid shelter, county-paid detox and
HCMC Emergency Department were also examined.
The six participants used $95,000 in services in the year prior to housing. In the year post-
housing, they used $16,000 in services, for a savings of $13,000 per person.
Gov’t Costs for Six FUSE Participants 1 Year Pre- and Post-Housing
(includes jail, workhouse, detox, HCMC-ED, and shelter)
$80,000
$70,000 $68,918
$60,000
$50,000
$40,000
$30,000 $26,565
$20,000 $11,692 $4,626
$10,000
$0
County City
pre hsg costs post hsg costs
Combined Days of Service Use Pre-Housing Combined Days of Service Use Post-Housing
ACF jail book jail days detox shelter ED Total ACF jail book jail days detox shelter ED Total
464 19 185 46 397 28 1139 0 7 24 1 0 23 55
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