Board To Vote On St. Paul Overnight Emergency Shelter
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A year-round temporary homeless shelter will be voted on at a Ramsey County Board of Commissioners meeting next week, the county said in a statement. The two-year agreement, with Model Cities of Saint Paul, Inc., would expand the Winter Safe Space emergency shelter on East Kellogg Boulevard downtown.
The Safe Space would open Nov. 12, 2019 if voted in. It would provide shelter for 64 people from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. year-round. The cost would be no more than $590,000 a year, the county said.
The Winter Safe Space shelter has been operating for the past two years, starting with 50 beds in 2018. It now boasts a washer and dryer and "other improvements to create a more welcoming environment," the county said.
The county said the proposed shelter aims to "improve access to safe, stable housing and reduce homelessness" through a strategic plan the county has called Stability Starts with a Place to Call Home.
The board will vote on the space on Tuesday, Oct 22.