BLOOMINGTON, Minn — Hennepin County plans to purchase Extended Stay America at American Boulevard and Lyndale Avenue in Bloomington, with the intention of using it to house people struggling with homelessness.
Hennepin County is currently leasing two Holiday Inns to provide safe shelter to people who are homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic. It plans to move residents from one of these Holiday Inns to Extended Stay America, and then discontinue use of that hotel.
All residents at the Extended Stay America would be elderly or have pre-existing conditions that put them at high risk of contracting COVID-19. The hotel would continue to be available for this purpose "through the duration of the pandemic," according to a press release.
Hennepin County will need to go through City of Bloomington approvals to comply with local laws and policies, and has committed to this as part of its purchase of the property. It is using CARES Act dollars for the purchase.
It plans to try and consolidate shelter operations into one location by June 2021.
