For those experiencing homelessness, fentanyl addiction is a clear and present danger.

“Personally, I don’t have anything good to say about fentanyl,” declares Zeke Thomas. “I think it’s a horrible drug and the pandemic of it is huge.”

Thomas, 44 — who lives in Minneapolis, is now recovering from a methamphetamine addiction.

He says he has friends now living in homeless encampments in the metro area who are struggling with fentanyl.

“I had a friend overdose in my house once,” Thomas explains. “He overdosed right where I’m sitting, unbeknownst to me, and he was purple.”

He says his friend survived after he was given a dose of naloxone, which counters the effects of an overdose.

Thomas credits at least part of his survival to Avivo Village, which provides shelter and wraparound services for about 100 people.

He and his partner stayed there in October and November of 2022.

“They gave us stability, they gave us security,” he notes. “When we were on the street, you felt like you almost needed to use. I didn’t want to sleep; I didn’t want to be vulnerable. Inside, I had the security of a door that locked, or didn’t need to worry about surroundings or my property.”

Avivo Village says in the past four years, it’s helped 500 people on their journeys from homelessness and addiction to housing.

The organization sets up clients who want to be drug-free with addiction services, licensed counselors, doctors, and mental health support.

“Going from the streets to the next chapter of their lives,” explains Chase Keye, the Housing Services Program Director for Avivo Village. “So that they receive medication, assisted treatment, things like methadone, along those lines.”

Kaye notes of the 400 people living without shelter in Minneapolis on any given night, about half are using fentanyl.  

Hennepin County officials say they don’t have any data on opioid overdoses among people experiencing homelessness.

But the county says overall, there were 349 opioid-related deaths due to fentanyl in 2023.

“It’s extremely dangerous,” says Dr. Steve Delisi, the Chief Medical Officer of YourPath Minnesota. “The fentanyl in very small amounts can be lethal in overdose.”

He says over the past three years, YourPath has served 7000 people statewide, most of whom have experienced homelessness or had unstable housing.

The recovery service partners with Avivo, using iPads and a tech platform to connect encampment residents with medical help.

“YourPath enables us to connect through a HIPAA-compliant platform — chatting and videoconferencing with individuals right there, within a homeless encampment,” Delisi explains. “They’ll connect with us via that iPad, and we’ll conduct the initial evaluation and develop the initial treatment plan right through that telehealth visit.”

Thomas says for his part, his time at Avivo Village was a key component in his recovery.

“Just to be able to discuss it without fear of judgment,” he declares. “I could start to focus on taking care of me again, and not just trying to survive.”