RAPID CITY, South Dakota – The South Dakota Housing for the Homeless Consortium is coordinating a statewide “Stand Up for Housing” week of action from November 17–21, 2025, to raise public awareness about homelessness, housing needs, and local solutions across South Dakota.
Organizations in Rapid City, the Black Hills, and other communities across the state are scheduled to host open houses, facility tours, service projects, and meetings with local leaders to shine a light on the ongoing efforts to secure safe and stable housing for all South Dakotans.
The initiative encourages local agencies to select event formats that best represent their services and priorities, aiming to foster dialogue between service providers, public officials, and the broader community. The campaign hopes to build understanding and reinforce the shared responsibility of addressing housing instability.
In Rapid City, two organizations have scheduled events:
- Cornerstone Rescue Mission will offer facility tours on Monday, November 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and again on Wednesday, November 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 30 Main Street. The tours are designed to give attendees a better understanding of the mission’s services for the homeless community.
- Family Connections Center, Inc. ‘The Circle’ will host a facility tour on Monday, November 18, at 3:00 p.m. at 706 E Monroe Street. The event will focus on how the center provides supportive services for unaccompanied youth aged 16-24, working to prevent and rapidly resolve homelessness among young adults.
The statewide consortium manages federal Continuum of Care funding for South Dakota and facilitates a Coordinated Entry System to connect those experiencing or at risk of homelessness with appropriate resources. Housing insecurity remains a significant challenge in Rapid City and the Black Hills area, with a Point-In-Time Count in January 2023 identifying 499 unhoused and unsheltered individuals in Rapid City. Statistics from the Rapid City Board of Education for the 2022-2023 school year also indicated over 812 students in grades K-12 were homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Other confirmed events across the state include:
- Pierre Area Referral Services (PARS): Facility tour on November 18 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 100 W Missouri, Pierre, to highlight efforts addressing homelessness, hunger, and collaboration.
- Midwest Street Medicine (Sioux Falls): Street rounds, a community panel, and a volunteer project on November 17 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 701 E. 8th Street.
- Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership and Sioux Falls Housing: A bus tour of Sioux Falls agencies, including St. Francis House and Minnehaha County Health and Human Services, on November 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. from 521 N Main N Ave Suite 201.
- Pathways Shelter for the Homeless (Yankton): Facility tour on November 19 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 412 E. 4th, to learn about how they serve individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
A full list of scheduled events and participating organizations will be posted on the South Dakota Housing website, and organizations interested in hosting an event are encouraged to submit an event participation form.