MINNETONKA, Minn. — Central Portfolio Control (CPC), a debt collection agency in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, MN, is helping the less fortunate this holiday season through an initiative to assemble and distribute care packages for people experiencing homelessness in the area. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, just a short drive East from CPC’s headquarters, have an ongoing need for homeless assistance and resources, particularly during the winter as the temperatures routinely dip well below freezing.
Homelessness Near the Twin Cities
Both the suburb of Minnetonka and to a much greater degree the nearby Twin Cities have seen a rise in homelessness as the effects of the pandemic continue to disrupt the local economy and as rental rates steadily climb. In March 2020, at the precipice of the historic pandemic disruption, a Minnetonka news source reported homelessness and housing instability as a relatively small but still present and overlooked issue in the area as compared to the Twin Cities.
MN Homeless Study
A triannual study conducted by Wilder Research showed that from 2015 to 2018, homelessness had increased 10% across the state, with a 62% increase of people not staying in a formal shelter setting. The report stated that more people were either doubled up in someone else’s home or sleeping outside due to a shortage of shelter space. The triannual study scheduled for 2021 has officially been postponed to 2022, but the area resources have been feeling the effects of housing instability, much like so many cities across the nation.
Urgent Need for Shelter
A Twin Cities news article from March of 2021 stated that the dispersal of area homeless encampments due to health safety concerns during the pandemic had drawn media attention but area organizations had been working to provide hotel rooms when possible. The Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless wrote a letter for the MN state legislature dated December 16, 2021, citing the urgent need for increased shelter and affordable housing across the state and particularly in the Twin Cities.
Taking Action
It is with this contextual backdrop that Central Portfolio Control employees decided to take action and find a way to assist their neighbors in need this holiday season. CPC purchased enough materials to assemble care packages to deliver to people experiencing homelessness. The team worked together to assemble 70 bags, each containing a drawstring bag, lunch, snacks, a mylar thermal blanket, a knitted beanie, thermal gloves, and thermal socks. CPC employees will hand out the care packages on Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Learn More
To learn more about homelessness in your state, visit the United States Interagency on Homelessness at usich.gov or the National Alliance to End Homelessness at endhomelessness.org.
To contact CPC or to learn more about their commitment to the community, please visit cpcrecovery.com/about, call 952-215-0412, and follow Central Portfolio Control on Facebook for future community outreach updates.
About Central Portfolio Control, Inc.
Headquartered in Minnetonka, MN, Central Portfolio Control, Inc. is a full-service and nationally licensed collection agency focused on the recovery of distressed accounts receivable. Since being founded in 1998, the Central Portfolio Control team provides top quality services while they continue to grow the company to better serve both our clients and our local community.
