Indoor community for those experiencing homelessness nears completion in Minneapolis’s North Loop neighborhood
[Courtesy of Avivo's website.]
Avivo Village, an indoor community of 100 secure, private dwellings created to provide shelter to individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, is currently nearing completion. It is being built in Minneapolis’s North Loop neighborhood, according to Avivo’s website.
The site is expected to be completed by March.
Avivo, originally called RESOURCE before changing its name in 2017, provides a full spectrum of chemical and mental health services, career education and unemployment services, the company says. They have served Minnesota since 1960, specializing in helping individuals and their families who face complex barriers to success, such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, chemical addiction or mental health concerns.
The location is an interior, tiny home community designed to be a dignified, safe and COVID-19-aware alternative to outdoor encampments, according to Avivo’s website. It’s a low-barrier shelter that operates as a transitional housing model. The village is open to adults who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Minneapolis and Hennepin County. Avivo says 100 people will live at the village at any given time.
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Avivo Village also offers some essential services such as substance use disorder treatment, mental health therapy, medical care and pathways to overall well-being.
Staff and security are on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Avivo adds that they also house service providers, case managers and security services. The approach is "culturally-responsive, low-barrier and trauma-informed."
Project funding has been provided from state, county and city sources as well as support from foundations and individuals. This includes community development funding the city of Minneapolis approved from the CARES Act. Support also comes from fees for services. Avivo says it will continue to raise funds for ongoing operations.
For more information on the project and Avivo, click here.