History

Emma Norton Services has over 100 years of history serving the Twin Cities. The organization was founded in 1917 when a Minnesotan, Emma Norton, gave a gift to United Methodist Women to fund a program to support young women and girls in Minnesota. With her gift, the UMW created the “Methodist Home for Girls” to house young women traveling to the Twin Cities from rural Minnesota for work and education.

In 1967, the organization moved to its current location on Robert Street in Saint Paul, and became Emma Norton Residence. Much like the transformational housing Emma Norton Services now provides, the organization changed to meet the needs of the community. Over the next few decades, Emma Norton Residence served a variety of populations, including deaf students and families with loved ones in long-term care at Regions Hospital.

As Minnesota’s unhoused population grew in the 1990s, the organization was called again to change, and turned focus to helping homeless women who experienced mental health or chemical dependency challenges. With the addition of Emma’s Place in 2002, Emma Norton expanded services to families as well.

Emma Norton Services has continued to grow to help more people in need. In the past decade, the organization has expanded to include  Peer Support Specialists and the Scattered-Site Housing Program, which supports families and individuals moving into independent apartment living in Ramsey County. With the addition of these services, Emma Norton now serves over 300 people annually, including children and adults of all genders.

Today, Emma Norton is a radically compassionate and inclusive organization, using evidence-based policies such as harm-reduction and eliminating length-of-stay restrictions. We meet clients where they are and walk with them on their journey of recovery.