County receives funding to keep homeless shelter open through January 2022

A grant from the state will allow the Rochester Community Warming Center to stay open through the calendar year.

The Olmsted County Housing and Redevelopment Authority made the decision to keep the warming center open continuously after receiving a $1.1 million COVID-19 Emergency Solutions Grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Office of Economic Opportunity.

The overnight shelter had been scheduled to close for the year at the end of March; however, the grant provides enough money to fully fund operations and staffing through January 2022 at both the Warming Center and The Creek, a short-term shelter in Rochester for people experiencing homelessness. 

“This grant comes at a critical time for our community,” said Olmsted County Housing Director Dave Dunn. “Many in Olmsted County have experienced economic impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only is the OCHRA working diligently to help keep people in their homes during the pandemic, but we are committed to finding safe, warm places for homeless individuals and families to sleep. This grant will help us continue that work.” 

The overnight shelter is slated to move back its former home at 200 Fourth Street Southeast on Friday evening, according to Rudy Naul, operations coordinator for the Rochester Community Warming Center. The shelter had temporarily relocated to the Mayo Civic Center for the past month.

The county reports that the RCWC has provided emergency shelter to more than 250 people since March 2020.