MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above aired on Feb. 18, 2021.
The Minneapolis City Council approved $1.2 million in funding for Avivo Village, an indoor community that shelters homeless people.
The grants will be used for the building of small houses in the North Loop neighborhood in Minneapolis for unsheltered people. The recent funding is part of the city and Hennepin County's larger plan to combat homelessness.
Along with the previous awards from 2020 and 2021, the city has committed a total of $5 million to building Avivo Village. The community is made up of 100 "secure, private dwellings and wraparound services for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness," according to a press release.
“When the idea of a tiny home village was first proposed, not many people believed it was something that would work, I’m proud I was a believer and impressed by the work of the Avivo team to not only create a new system but actually find permanent housing for over 100 people,” said City Council Member Lisa Goodman. “Sometimes we just need to do things differently.”
The City Council's plan to fight homelessness in Minneapolis also includes a second new shelter called Homeward Bound. Overall the city and county say there is a $200 million investment in the homeless response system to:
- Improve the conditions of shelters and ensure they could be open 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
- Support the creation of a new women’s shelter and a new medical respite shelter at the Endeavors Residence opened in 2022.
- Increase City funding for street outreach teams and a new City Homeless Response Coordination team.
- Add significant staffing to create the Hennepin County Streets to Housing Team, which is responsible for working with residents staying in unsheltered situations to help them transition to housing as quickly as possible.
“We are elated with this continued partnership and investment in our joint belief that no one in Minneapolis should be sleeping outdoors and in places not meant for living,” said Avivo’s Vice President of ending homelessness Emily Bastian. “This funding empowers us all to do better on behalf of individuals living unsheltered. And that is what Avivo Village is about, radically welcoming individuals into a safe place that respects their dignity and helps them secure permanent housing and take their next best steps.”
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