City Council Approves Funding For Homeless Encampment Temporary Shelter Center

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The Minneapolis City Council has approved $1.5 million in funding for a temporary shelter center officials say will provide a safe, service-rich environment for people currently living at the homeless encampment at Franklin and Hiawatha avenues.

The center is scheduled to open in early December and be operational until the end of May. Demolition work is underway to prepare the site for construction.

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The Navigation Center will be built on a 1.25-acre site located at 2109 Cedar Avenue, adjacent to the Franklin Avenue METRO Blue Line station near the encampment. The site includes parcels of land owned by the Red Lake Nation and the City of Minneapolis.

City officials say several temporary structure options are being considered for the center, including trailers, and the center will be modeled after similar concepts in cities like San Francisco. The center is meant to offer short-term, low barrier access to shelter and support services, the city said.

The City says it has also identified a possible operator to run the center alongside tribal and community partners.