UPDATE: Nonprofit Looking at Teaming With City on Homeless Population

Originally published on Friday, September 22 at 12:50 p.m.

Updated Monday, September 26 at 12:45 p.m.

Correction: Avivo does not have a license to operate in Benton County. It would not assume operations at the Lincoln Center, but would instead open a facility in Stearns County to address the homeless issue.

(KNSI) – Avivo is looking at partnering with the city to help care for homeless individuals.

Consultant Sheila Delaney talked about the organization’s experience running a low-barrier shelter in the Twin Cities and how to succeed here.

She says, “During COVID, as we remember, hotels were by and large very vacant. And so, in the case of Avivo, when the State of Minnesota requested they do this, they were able to basically run, in a sense, a low-barrier shelter out of hotels in the area.”

Avivo started 50 years ago, helping kids through special education. It has since spread out into other fields. It first took on running homeless shelters in 2020 after the George Floyd riots in Minneapolis.

Delaney says Avivo would run a low-barrier shelter. “We do not have a sobriety requirement to receive services in Avivo Village. That is balanced with a very high resident-to-staff ratio. Although, if you were to visit our facility in Minneapolis, you would see people walking around, and you would think, ‘Oh, they’re just Resident Assistants.’ Well, actually, they are security guards.”

The Lincoln Center in east St. Cloud, a low-barrier shelter, has been plagued by crime and other disturbances since it opened in 2021. At the last city council meeting, area residents were adamant about how the current tent city set up outside the shelter was unacceptable. Homeless are allowed to go inside only to use the showers and restrooms while renovations to bring the building up to code are ongoing.

Avivo does not have a license to operate in Benton County but could set up a Stearns County location.

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