MINNEAPOLIS — Government officials are encouraging people experiencing homelessness to use the emergency shelter systems in Hennepin County.
There are shelters made especially for women, children and families, according to a press release.
Hennepin County officials said that some of the shelters go unused each night, and new beds become available daily.
There are also approximately 200 vacancies in board and lodge facilities, "which provide low-barrier housing that people can access today."
This comes after the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota (ACLU-MN) and Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid announced they have filed a lawsuit to stop sweeps of homeless encampments in Minneapolis parks.
The following is shelter information from Hennepin County on currently open and soon-to-open facilities:
Get connected to shelter
Hennepin County
- Single adults: Call Adult Shelter Connect at 612-248-2350.
- Families: Call the Hennepin County Family Shelter Team at 612-348-9410. Hennepin County practices a “shelter all” commitment for families.
New safe spaces, enhanced shelter and expanded supports expected by year’s end
Four new emergency shelter locations | Total investment of $15.2 million for 200 total beds
- Homeward Bound, 50 beds for Native American adults, $7.5 million total investment, planned opening Dec. 1
- Lerner Building, 100 separate units in an “indoor village” for people currently experiencing unsheltered homelessness, $6 million total investment, planned opening end of December
- Salvation Army emergency shelter, 30 beds for women experiencing unsheltered homelessness, $1.3 million total investment, planned opening Dec. 1
- Simpson Housing emergency shelter, 20 beds for women experiencing unsheltered homelessness on a separate floor of Simpson Housing’s existing emergency shelter location, $400,000 total investment, opened in October
670 additional units of affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness
- Catholic Charities Exodus 2.0 (construction beginning soon): 203 units for people experiencing chronic homelessness
- Park 7 (open now): 61 units for people experiencing homelessness
- Mino-Bimaadiziwin (opening December 2020): 17 units for people experiencing homelessness
- Maya Commons (opened July 2020): 12 units for people experiencing homelessness
- Penn Avenue Union (opened August 2020): 4 units for people experiencing homelessness
- Lake Street Phase 1 (opening late 2020): 6 units for people experiencing homelessness
- Franklin Avenue AICDC site (opening soon): 20 beds for Native American residents experiencing homelessness with chemical dependency
- Gateway NE (opening early 2021): 10 units for people experiencing homelessness
- Scattered site opportunities (opening soon): 200 new units for people experiencing homelessness, including 100 permanent and 100 time-limited, at various sites around the county with subsidies and support services
- Amber Apartments (construction beginning soon) – 17 units for people experiencing homelessness
- Lydia Apartments (construction beginning soon) – 80 units for people experiencing homelessness
- Anishinabe III (construction beginning soon) – 40 units for people experiencing homelessness
