Higher Ground Dedication and Grand Opening Ceremony

On June 7th, 2012 Catholic Charities of St.Paul and Minneapolis held the dedication and grand opening ceremony of Higher Ground, an innovative housing facility, combining emergency shelter, supportive housing and efficiency apartments all in one building.

 

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Higher Ground: An Innovative Approach to Housing and Shelter

Higher Ground combines shelter and residential supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness in the Twin Cities. The seven-floor building will serve as an upgrade from the mats used at Secure Waiting Space, the building Higher Ground will replace.

The first floor will have 171 beds. The second floor will contain 80 Pay-for-Stay beds, where residents pay $7 per night for their bed. Four floors will contain 74 single room occupancy units. The top floor of Higher Ground will have 11 efficiency apartments, each with its own kitchen and bathroom.

Higher Ground will serve people in all stages of the housing continuum, whether they need overnight emergency shelter, a supportive housing environmentor an efficiency apartment of their own.

 

Higher Ground represents a collaborative effort among government, corporate, foundation, individual, and service partners, including:

The State of Minnesota/Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
Hennepin County Affordable Housing Incentive Fund
Heading Home Hennepin
Hennepin County Environmental Response Fund
Community Housing Development Corporation
JL Pope Associates
Cermak Rhoades Architects
Frerichs Construction
St. Stephen's Human Services
US Bank
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Family Housing Fund
Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation
Metropolitan Council
The City of Minneapolis
Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
General Mills Foundation
Union Pacific Railroad
Canadian Pacific Railroad
Pohlad Family Foundation
Annette Atkins and Tom Joyce Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation
Brian and Kathleen Short
Bob and Patti Spinner
Patrick and Aimee Butler Foundation
J. Michael and Kim Dady

The building project began May 24 and Higher Ground opened in June 2012. The project will create more than 350 construction jobs in the community. Higher Ground is located adjacent to Catholic Charities' Evergreen and Glenwood residences, near International Market Square and Interstate 94.

 

Why It's Necessary

In 1995, Catholic Charities opened Secure Waiting Space to provide a temporary place to sleep for people experiencing homelessness. Fifteen years later, we've become unfortunate experts on emergency shelter. Those who stay at Secure Waiting sleep on a mat on the floor, just inches apart from one another.

Enter Higher Ground, where all residents will have access to supportive services such as housing and job search assistance, medical care and case coordination.
 

Help Support this Project

We could not make Higher Ground a reality without the support of our gracious partners and the community. If you're interested in supporting Higher Ground in any way, contact Kate Kelly, Corporate and Foundation Relations, or Tina Palmer, Individual Donor Relations. You can also make a gift to Catholic Charities online or call 612-204-8500. Your support for this project is greatly appreciated.

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Higher Ground Media Kit

Media Kit Available At

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