The Agate Shelter in downtown Minneapolis is in danger of closing, but it may be getting some help from the City of Minneapolis.

“Over 130 people call this place home at any given time,” declares Kyle Hanson, executive director of Agate Housing and Services. “This is temporary and transitional housing for people who are some of the hardest to house in the community.” 

Shawn, 40, who’s lived in the shelter for about two months, says he’s not sure where he’d lived if it closed.

“Probably back in my car,” he says. “I was in my car since January, lost my job in January. “

The shelter building is a hundred years old, has broken ceilings, leaky plumbing, damaged bathrooms, and buckled floors. It comes as the city is grappling with the homelessness issue.

“The system is tapped out, shelters are full, transitional housing is hard to find,” Hanson explains. “One hundred thirty-plus beds are really hard to come by, and this model is not something that would be able to be easily replaced.”

Government figures show there are 36 active encampments in the city, with 172 people living in them.

The dashboard also shows there were 297 calls to the non-emergency hotline in August regarding people experiencing homeless — the highest in a year.

“We’re in a moment in our city where we are having a crisis,” says Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez. “We are having a difficult time finding a way to address unsheltered homelessness.”

Now, Chavez and two other council members are proposing to spend $1.5 million — an emergency rehab grant — to pay for repairs at the shelter and at its food shelf.

“What we’re doing in essence is making sure we don’t permanently lose critical housing services in the City of Minneapolis, instead preserve them,” he notes. “Making sure people have a place to go when they’re in a bad situation.”

To receive the grant, Agate will have to secure $1.5 million in matching funds by the end of next year.

“Money is hard to come by in the nonprofit world,” Hanson says. “I have reached out to non-government partners to let them know this new funding has come about.”

He says without $3-5 million in funding, Agate will have to close the shelter by early October.  

Chavez hopes to discuss the grant plan during a budget committee meeting on Sept. 16.

“Some of our residents will have a place to sleep at night,” he says. “If we were to permanently lose that, that is a very scary situation for many residents in our city, and many more who are unhoused and unsheltered.”

Hanson says if Agate receives the grant, the shelter will temporarily close for about six to 12 months, but he says the nonprofit will work to relocate its clients.

He adds they’ll also try to find jobs within the organization for the 23 employees now working at the shelter.

Hanson says half of Agate’s employees have experienced homelessness in their lives.

“This is a huge investment from the city into a really important resource for the community,” he explains.

Shawn, meanwhile, says he hopes the shelter can continue functioning after the rehab work.

“We’re not here because we want to be here,” he declares. “Half of us got families, kids, grandkids, and we didn’t want to hit rock bottom. I hope that program stays working — if you want stable housing, there’s stable housing.”

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