As winter’s cold tightens its grip, homeless shelters in Minnesota are facing a mounting crisis, mirroring a sharp increase in homelessness nationwide. Local providers say demand is soaring while resources shrink, threatening to leave many without safe shelter.
On a recent call, staff at People Serving People, a Minneapolis nonprofit that runs two family shelters and an early‑learning center, said their shelter system is stretched beyond capacity. “We have 150 rooms, and it’s only going to get worse,” said Chief Executive Officer Hoang Murphy. “If families run out of housing‑support dollars, they are going to need shelter. There are no shelter spaces left.”
Founded in the 1980s and restructured as a family shelter in 2002, People Serving People serves dozens of families, many of them Black, African American or Native, offering child care, health care, meals, and help transitioning into stable housing. But Murphy says the center hasn’t had a major renovation since 2002, even as the average stay for families has grown from about 30 days then to over 100 days today. She blames long‑term housing unaffordability, the fallout from the 2008 housing‑market collapse, and further strain brought by the pandemic.
Across town, Catholic Charities, one of Minnesota’s largest providers of emergency shelter, reports the same pressure. “Shelters, both youth and adult, are consistently at capacity,” said Chief Program Officer Keith Kozerski. He noted that as cuts swell and government‑funded programs tighten, many clients are left choosing between basic necessities.
“People we serve are barely making ends meet,” Kozerski said. “With government pauses, it’s not like our folks have a savings account to draw on. They have to make real choices. Can they afford to stay in their apartment? Can they afford a meal today?” He added that the consequences can ripple far, increasing the risk of emergency‑room visits when people with chronic health conditions lose access to regular meals or shelter…