Avivo Village Update – August 2021

We are excited to share an update on Avivo Village as we continue to work hard with partners, funders, and government leaders on unsheltered homelessness. Avivo Village has been open for over six months now and is home to individuals moving from homelessness to permanent housing.

Successes

As of July 31, 2021:

  • 97 residents in July
  • 182 individuals have been served since opening
  • 28 people are permanently housed
  • 17 of 28 people found housing within an Avivo housing program
  • 84% of people served identify as black, Indigenous or people of color
  • 18 different tribal affiliations are represented
  • 100% of people served have been homeless and living on the streets for a minimum of one year
  • 21-64 years is the age range of people served
  • 100% of residents are connected to community services, healthcare and resources
  • 73 days is the average stay in order to find permanent housing

Of the individuals served, 62 percent identify as American Indian or Native; 28 percent, black and multi-racial. Fifty-two percent identified as male; 47 percent, as female; one percent, as transgender.

Avivo Village Services

Since opening, Avivo Village has grown its services to meet the needs of its residents. Currently, Avivo Village offers:

  • Housing case management
  • Chemical health and mental health assessments
  • Nursing services on site by a nurse practitioner
  • COVID-19 testing and vaccinations
  • Medication Assisted Treatment services
  • HIV testing and education
  • Employment services
  • Daily groups and activities

Partnerships & Volunteerism

In addition to connecting residents to Avivo services, Avivo Village is partnering with several entities including Native American Community Clinic (NACC), White Earth Nation, Southside Harm Reduction, Hennepin County, and Red Door Clinic. We are currently working to increase our mental health services in partnership with NACC as well as begin Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) outreach. NACC is coming into Avivo Village on a bi-weekly basis to offer MAT outreach, general medical care or prenatal care.

We are proud of our strong and growing relationship with our North Loop neighbors and members of the North Loop Neighborhood Association. A neighbor provided a Little Free Library! We are working with business members on planning yoga group sessions, acupuncture, and writing groups. Colonial Church of Edina is also a strong partner, providing generous financial support as well as welcome baskets that provide much needed household supplies for residents who move in and move on. Wells Fargo has made a large gift that will help transform an existing room into a sensory space for yoga and other calming mindfulness activities. Target has designed and covered the costs to furnish our residents’ lounge. And funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is being used to create a formal evaluation tool to measure the impact of Avivo Village.

Opportunities & Funding Needs

Avivo Village has had the opportunity to host Representative Ilhan Omar and Senator Tina Smith to support legislative work on advancing housing and shelter expansion. We continue to work with city, county, and state representatives to address the crisis of unsheltered homelessness in our city and county. We are working with our partners to renew public funding that has been critical to partially supporting Avivo Village operations. We also must continue to raise funds from philanthropy and private sources to support the robust service model at Avivo Village.

Questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Emily Bastian, Avivo Vice President of Ending Homelessness.

 

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