New HVAC and other infection-mitigation enhancements will improve the health and safety of shelter guests
Thanks to a generous award from the City of Minneapolis, Haven Housing is set to embark on a multi-phase project that will enhance the safety and health of the moms and their children who stay at the 82-year old-former convent that houses St. Anne’s Place emergency shelter.
The City awarded a $942,224 grant, which consists of three U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funded Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), in March. The City Council will vote on an additional $1.88 million American Rescue Plan grant for the project in April. These awards will cover most of a nearly $3 million project that will install a new HVAC system to increase ventilation and transform bathrooms, the kitchen, and sleeping rooms into more functional and dignified living spaces for shelter guests. The preparation for renovations is beginning this month, with the most significant renovation work beginning in early May 2022.
“This project is happening now because the pandemic highlighted the importance to have a safe place to study, eat, live and sleep when sheltering in place,” said Haven Housing Executive Director Monica Nilsson. “The health benefits are important, but having centralized air conditioning for the first time since St. Anne’s Place emergency shelter opened more than 20 years ago is what many of us are most excited about. On hot summer days, it gets too hot for guests to sleep in their rooms, so we’ve put air mattresses in the community room, which isn’t always much cooler. That disruption and stress doesn’t make it any easier to parent or to be rested for a productive day as moms work to find a home.”
St. Anne’s Place is one of only two emergency shelters for families experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County. Because it only serves 16 families a night it is a unique and optimal place for women-led families to recover from a crisis and find stable housing.
“Serving only 16 families a night provides us an opportunity to build a strong rapport with each shelter guest and provide highly individualized support as they pursue their goals of employment, education, health, and housing,” said St. Anne’s Place Program Manager Muriel Dorbor.
The renovation project addresses many of the challenges posed by an aging building (built in 1940) and its original use as a convent. Some of the sleeping rooms–originally meant for one nun–are small for families with multiple children. In 2021, the American Institute of Architects of Minnesota helped Haven Housing envision how all of the small space innovations and technologies that exist today could transform the spaces. Later this year, that vision will come to fruition.
“We are grateful to Paul Gates, the architect on this project, and Flannery Construction for their expertise and commitment. This work wouldn’t be possible without them, our staff, government partners, and donors who believe everyone deserves safe shelter,” said Nilsson. “Completing these needed improvements at St. Anne’s Place will allow us to continue our mission to provide a stable environment for women and their children as they heal from trauma and create a more hopeful future for themselves,” Nilsson continued.
Haven Housing plans to move its shelter services to a hotel for some months this summer while St. Anne’s Place needs to be vacant for construction. Staff are working to minimize disruption for shelter guests.
Haven Housing has been providing emergency shelter and supportive housing in North Minneapolis for the past forty years, serving 15,000 women and children. Renovations like this will allow Haven Housing to better serve women and families for another generation.
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