Andrea Simonett

Andrea Simonett is serving as the interim assistant commissioner for the Homelessness, Housing and Support Services Administration (HHSSA) at the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

In this role, Simonett oversees programs and policies that serve people who lack stable housing, adult income support programs, and services designed to reduce or prevent housing instability.

Simonett brings deep expertise in public policy, grant administration and program development with a strong commitment to equity, systems change and community-centered leadership. Previously, she served as the division director of HHSSA since its establishment in July 2024. Prior to that, Simonett spent a decade as a leader in the DHS Office of Economic Opportunity, including as manager of Shelter and Housing Programs and supervisor of key grant-funded initiatives supporting people experiencing homelessness, youth facing exploitation and other vulnerable populations.   

Simonett’s career is rooted in more than 20 years of nonprofit experience, where she served as a street outreach worker, shelter advocate, housing navigator and later in leadership roles at several nonprofit organizations. She is a youth worker at heart — grounded in the lessons learned during her years in direct service and the wisdom shared by the young people she worked alongside. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in family social science from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Minnesota Humphrey School.