Happy one year workiversary to Erica McKeown!
Erica joined the Model Cities team as Director of Shelter and Housing Services last May, and brings 20 years of experience working in human services, as well as a deep commitment to strengthening shelter and housing services to the organization.
“Housing is a human right and no one should be without it. Every human has a right to a safe and secure place to call home, no matter their age, sex, gender, religion, and/or socioeconomic status.”
Erica’s parents met while her dad was in the Peace Corp, living in Togo, where she was born. “Our family has always been a family of advocacy and support for disadvantaged, oppressed, marginalized people in our community or anywhere in the world.” Growing up partially in Ghana, she and her brother relocated to small town Minnesota in 1990, where Erica graduated high school going on to St. Catherine’s University and Century College for interdisciplinary studies that have grounded her 20+ year career in human services.
Her professional journey reflects a lifelong passion for serving others. From working in crisis stabilization and mental health services to supporting survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking, her experiences shape the compassionate leadership she brings to Model Cities.
Shaping Shelter & Housing Services
As Director of Shelter and Housing Services, Erica shapes the direction of our Supportive Housing programs and Safe Space Shelter with the team. In her first year, she helped to expand her team of Housing Case Managers, and is looking forward to strengthening relationships, both with her staff team, as well as with program participants.
A challenge Erica is looking forward to tackling in the coming year is establishing a clear program structure that better connects Safe Space Shelter to Supportive Housing to Economic Services in a way that supports participants through the housing continuum. “I want to provide more resources and training for staff so they feel safe and secure at their job, building better connections with the Shelter and Economic Services team to help provide even more resources and advancement for the people we serve.”
Looking ahead with Safe Space
She’s also looking ahead to what the best version of Safe Space might look like, finding a permanent “forever home” for the 64-bed overnight shelter and how to increase the services Model Cities can provide to shelter guests.
“Model Cities is unique in the sense that it provides housing support for individuals who are un-housed [and] actively seeking emergency shelter, while also offering long-term residency through our supportive housing programs. Programs which provide opportunities to reach financial wellness and/or purchase a home, if they choose to. Having all three levels of support for the un-housed community makes Model Cities an innovative company in the world of homelessness.”
Outside of work, Erica has been enjoying being an empty nester, spending time with her black lab Jabari, and diving into DC and Marvel comics. “The luxury of being able to be in a space where I can now live how I like and do what I like, for me, has given me a sense of peace I have not known before.”
We are grateful to have Erica as part of the Model Cities team!
