Minneapolis has 126 more shelter beds this year

Just in time for the temperature to drop, the City of Minneapolis announced 126 new shelter beds and 123 new housing units this winter for residents experiencing homelessness.
“We in Minneapolis have every obligation to make sure we are providing dignified, warm space so that people can live and so that they can be safe,” Mayor Jacob Frey said at a press briefing on Nov. 20. “You don’t look too far to understand why that matters.”
People experiencing homelessness can find shelter at the following locations:
In Southwest Minneapolis, the new Simpson Apartment and Shelter at 2740 1st Ave. S (at the former Simpson Church location) will have 72 emergency shelter beds and 42 permanent housing units.
Simpson Housing is holding a celebration and tour of its new building on Jan. 10, 2026 from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Outside of Southwest, the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, 2300 15th Ave. S, has 24 permanent housing units, 20 of which are for people going through homelessness and four for people with disabilities..
Kyle Garden Square, 700 10th Ave. S, has 59 permanent supportive housing units, 11 of them for people with disabilities.
Valiance Apartments and Shelter, 2806 27th Ave. S, has 50 affordable housing units and 54 shelter beds.
The city council approved more than $14 million in November earmarked for adding or preserving 600 affordable homes for residents exiting homelessness, along with $1.7 million in 10-year federal housing tax credits towards 11 new affordable rental housing projects.
“We are not doing this by ourselves,” Frey said. “This is a partnership that we’ve got alongside non-profit partners, the county and the state because this work does not happen alone.”
Hennepin County added 83 beds to its homeless response system this winter and maintains 50 overnight drop-in spaces.
People who need shelter overnight can call the Hennepin Shelter Hotline at 612-204-8200. The hotline is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday and holidays 1-9 p.m. Outside of these hours, callers will be directed to United Way’s 211 social service system.
Warming spaces are available at Our Savior’s Housing, Steps of Strategy, Agate’s Valiance Shelter, Rescue Now, Youth Link (ages 16-24 only) and American Indian Community Development Corporation’s KOLA overnight drop-in space. For more information, visit hennepin.us/staywarm

State of homelessness in Minneapolis
Both Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis report a decrease in unsheltered homelessness this year, but reports on the amount of unsheltered people in Minneapolis vary. Hennepin County’s point-in-time count in January 2025 found 427 people were unsheltered, with another report due at the beginning of 2026.
Frey announced in April that only 27 people were experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Minneapolis. Hennepin County published its own data showing over 600 people were unsheltered, and it was able to make contact with almost 300 people, the vast majority residing in Minneapolis.
The City of Minneapolis now maintains its own Supporting Unsheltered Individuals data site that calculates in early December 125 people are unsheltered in Minneapolis.
People working with unsheltered homeless people at encampments have argued for years that shelter beds are often unavailable, which leads to people sleeping outside. Hennepin County stopped tracking how many people were turned away from shelter beds in 2024.
“Our argument all along has been let’s get people inside,” Frey said. “To those that say we need wrap-around services, we agree. To those that say we need culturally sensitive addiction treatment, we agree. To those that say long-term ability to get people in permanent housing, of course.”
Frey argued he wants to do all of this work inside from a shelter, not outside keeping people warm with open flames and propane tanks.
“We’re straight up about this,” Frey said in response to clearing encampments. “Our goal is to get people in shelter and permanent housing… I’ve said it a million times. It’s not safe.”