One Campus, Infinite Potential: St. Francis House’s Healing Home Campus
St. Francis House launches campaign to help more people move from homelessness to hope
In Sioux Falls, organizations provide support for employment, health care, addiction recovery, financial stability, housing, education and countless other needs. For someone working to regain stability, navigating those resources can be overwhelming. Transportation, scheduling, waitlists and coordinating appointments across multiple providers can become barriers of their own.
For decades, St. Francis House has helped bridge those gaps, guiding people from homelessness to hope through transitional housing, accountability, employment support and connections to resources that help guests build lasting independence.
Rather than offering every service itself, St. Francis House has long relied on partnerships, connecting guests with organizations that bring specialized expertise while providing the structure and support needed to succeed.
The approach is working.
Today, St. Francis House operates 168 beds and serves hundreds of individuals annually through its transitional housing program. In 2025, the organization served 757 guests. Through the first six months of 2026 alone, St. Francis House had already served 482 guests. More importantly, the outcomes tell the story: 96% of guests are employed, and among those who complete at least 60 days of structured programming, 95% secure permanent housing.
Now, St. Francis House is building on that success.
Through the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, St. Francis House has launched a Community Appeals Campaign to raise $1.5 million as part of its $10 million capital campaign for its Healing Home Campus.
The project is a transformational expansion designed to not only increase access to safe, stable housing but also create a continuum of services — combining housing, accountability, employment, supportive services, community partnerships and opportunities for healing in one coordinated environment.
The project will add 38 one-bedroom transitional efficiency units, helping residents move from communal housing toward independent living. The campus will also feature dedicated space for community partners providing behavioral health services, substance use recovery programs, health care, employment assistance, education, financial counseling, cultural support services and more.
A recent pilot program reinforced the effectiveness of this approach. Of the guests who moved from the main building into transitional housing, 88% later secured permanent housing in the community.
“The Healing Home Campus is built around responsible stewardship,” said campaign co-chair Ben Dold, president and COO of Midco. “We are bringing partner agencies together, allowing each organization to contribute its expertise while sharing programming, resources and in-kind donations.”
With 244 individuals on the Department of Corrections housing waitlist alone, the demand is evident. By helping guests transition into more independent housing while maintaining access to case management and support, St. Francis House’s new campus will create opportunities to serve more people and reduce barriers to successful reentry and long-term stability.
“St. Francis House provides services and care that are unmatched in our region. The organization has a long-standing presence in the Sioux Falls community as one of the lead agencies that steps forward and takes a proactive approach to meet the needs of
those impacted by the criminal justice system,” said Kari Benz, director of human services for Minnehaha and Lincoln counties. “Each year, numerous households find safety, security and hope at St. Francis House.”
For guests, that support can be life-changing.
“I came from prison and didn’t have anywhere to parole,” said Tyler, a St. Francis House guest. “They helped me get myself back on my feet and financially stable by helping me find a job. Staff help keep me from the streets and keep me sober. Without this place, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
The impact extends well beyond the guests being served. As individuals become financially stable, they are better positioned to pay rent, taxes, child support, restitution, fines and personal debts and to contribute to the local economy. They also become part of the workforce, helping employers fill jobs while reducing public costs associated with homelessness, incarceration, emergency services and repeat crisis intervention. Successful transitions mean stronger workforce participation, reduced reliance on crisis services, lower recidivism rates and healthier families and neighborhoods.
On this campus, St. Francis House sees the opportunity to maximize existing community resources, bringing together housing, services, partnerships and hope. The result: infinite potential for the people working to build a better future and for the community that benefits when they do.
“The greatest reward will not be the buildings we construct,” said Mark Millage, director of community relations for Furniture Mart USA and campaign co-chair. “It will be seeing people heal, families reconnect, individuals return to the workforce and people who once experienced homelessness or incarceration become stable and contributing members of our community.”