Any Path Home putting names and faces to homeless numbers

Collaborative effort that started in 2024 has moved into new phase amid ongoing work to help people connect to housing and support.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Nearly 300 individual adults were known to be homeless in Olmsted County at the end of January, according to Olmsted County's Associate Housing Director Courtney Dugstad. The Any Path Home effort, initiated two years ago, is seeking a new response to homelessness after the county failed to receive state funds for a new housing stability center. The work involves county and nonprofit agencies meeting to review the list of people experiencing homelessness and connect them to appropriate housing and support.

Why it matters

The Any Path Home effort aims to take a more personalized approach to addressing homelessness, moving away from a one-size-fits-all system that has often failed to meet the complex needs of individuals. By putting names and faces to the data, the program seeks to restore dignity and identify specific solutions for those struggling to find housing.

The details

The Any Path Home case management workgroup meets every two weeks to discuss how combined efforts can find solutions for individuals who have struggled to find the right support in any one agency. The program has also worked to standardize how agencies report data on homelessness, providing a more accurate picture of the issue in Olmsted County.

  • The Any Path Home effort was initiated two years ago, in 2024.
  • The case management workgroup meetings are held every two weeks.
  • The Landing MN's annual C2 Forum, which is expected to include updates on the Any Path Home effort, is scheduled for March 12, 2026.

The players

Courtney Dugstad

Olmsted County's Associate Housing Director.

Laurissa Bale

A member of the Any Path Home's Homelessness Response Leadership Council who spent three years without a home before finding one seven months ago.

Dave Dunn

Olmsted County Housing Director and Any Path Home Homelessness Response Leadership Council member.

Jamaul Gayles

Any Path Home Homelessness Response Leadership Council member who experienced nearly five years of homelessness before finding appropriate housing in 2024.

Josh Johnson

Pastor of The Exchange and member of the Any Path Home Leadership Council.

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What they’re saying

“When we are talking about data, we are talking about people. Every data point is a person who is living and breathing and has a story and has strengths to contribute to the community.”

— Courtney Dugstad, Olmsted County's Associate Housing Director

“I've fallen through the cracks often.”

— Laurissa Bale, Member of the Any Path Home's Homelessness Response Leadership Council

“We now have a better idea of those numbers, but more than that, we have names and we have faces, so those people are having the opportunity to be seen for who they are.”

— Josh Johnson, Pastor of The Exchange and member of the Any Path Home Leadership Council

“We want everybody to have the same vision and understand the motives of Any Path Home, which is that everybody in Olmsted County deserves a home.”

— Jamaul Gayles, Any Path Home Homelessness Response Leadership Council member

“I see a collective of people who want a hand in solving this issue, and everybody's ready to work really hard.”

— Jamaul Gayles, Any Path Home Homelessness Response Leadership Council member

What’s next

The Any Path Home Leadership Council has requested Olmsted County Housing and Redevelopment Authority support for hiring a new program coordinator to help define roles and improve coordination of the effort.

The takeaway

The Any Path Home program is taking a more personalized and collaborative approach to addressing homelessness in Olmsted County, moving away from a fragmented system that has often failed to meet the complex needs of individuals. By putting names and faces to the data and bringing together various agencies, the program aims to restore dignity and identify specific solutions to help people connect to housing and support.