30 homeless ladies evacuated from encampment to accommodations

The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center was awarded a $ 400,000 contract to house 30 homeless, single, native women who moved out from two warehouses near Cedar and Franklin Avenues in early October.

The nonprofit was hired to help in the two weeks leading up to evacuation the camps, the provision of accommodation and services for the people living there and temporary emergency shelters for people who are leaving the camps, as well as the provision of daily operations and staff in the hotel.

MIWRC used the money to add 30 beds to a pilot program called Hotels to Homes. The program started last winter with government pandemic funding sufficient to accommodate five people in a hotel and offer all-round services.

“It is important to understand that we are addressing homelessness and generational trauma in many forms,” ​​said Marisa Cummings, President and CEO of the MIWRC. “Every relative has a unique need and we address every relative and meet them where they are.”

In the four weeks since the program was expanded, Cummings said one of the 30 women at the hotel has been accommodated, several have apartment applications pending and others have expressed an interest in substance use disorders.

“Community building and trust are essential to this work, and loved ones have been busy programming and developing relationships with staff,” she said.

According to the contract, the “grant program for emergency solutions” is planned for road operations and emergency shelters until the end of 2021.

The money to add 30 to the program came from federal COVID-19 stimulus dollars through the American Rescue Plan Act. Under the agreement, $ 163,000 of the funding will be used to fund 12 full-time salaries and $ 23,000 for the technology.

The contract requires MIWRC to provide residents with three meals a day, clothing, over-the-counter medication, transportation to important appointments, and “environmental cleaning and pest control beyond normal housekeeping outside the community”. The non-profit organization also received funds from the district and has to coordinate with the district housing teams and the municipal service providers in order to provide the residents with permanent housing.