Great question! At the end of 2022, there was a bill passed for congress to direct funds to programs and infrastructure all around the United States. Long story short, we have received a grant for $2 million to expand our shelter. 

​

We plan to add two levels on top of our existing building so that we may extend our services to more individuals.

Again you are asking all of the right questions! We need a bigger shelter in Duluth because we cannot provide shelter for everyone experiencing homelessness right now. There are only 155 shelter beds in Duluth. 80 of them are in our shelter and we have over 150 people who stay there every night. People are sleeping on the floor, on chairs, under tables, or on anything they can find. 

​

We also know that there are over 500 people who routinely sleep outside every night in Duluth. Expanding our shelter would mean that we can provide beds for, at the very least, more individuals in the city. 

Over 20 years ago we purchased the two-story building downtown that serves as our drop-in center and congregate shelter. Originally it was designed for 30 overnight guests, and now we have over 150 people staying every night. This space also provides bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities, a health and wellness office, a kitchen, staff offices, and guest storage space. The second floor is half as big and holds our women's shelter and the CHUM administration office.

So, needless to say, the space is crowded.

10 years ago, Doug Zaun created a plan to expand our building because of the increased need for shelter beds. Yes, 10 years ago we were already short on space. The plan is to extend the second floor to be the same size as the first floor and add an additional third floor to the building.

With the extra space, not only will we have more beds, but it will also provide a space for people working on their mental health and sobriety. This will make our shelter more comfortable for folks taking steps toward stability. Altogether, this expansion will help us serve more people in the community, and better serve those seeking stability and sobriety.

The grant we received will be a great starting point for this project. In total, everything will cost $4.3 million.

As of summer 2023, we now estimate the cost of this project to be closer to $14 million due to the rising cost of construction and inflation. We need your help as soon as possible so we can proceed before costs rise again.

A fantastic last question! Of course, we will need to raise a lot of money to complete this project. Financial contributions are more than welcome and can be done safely and securely on our website.. Another great way to support this project will be to advocate for funding on the state and local levels. If you do not know how to do that, visit our advocacy landing page. Thank you so much for your support!

We are happy to answer any and all questions regarding the shelter expansion. Hit the button below to send our team a question.