By Chao Xiong
Staff Writer
July 2002
There are sheets. Pillows. A blanket. No one here sleeps on the floor. On the second level of its shelter at 1000 Currie Av. in downtown Minneapolis, Catholic Charities literally raises homeless men off the ground, providing them with bunk beds, lockers, linens and, some say, a much-needed sense of accountability.
There's a cost for comfort: $3 per night, plus tougher rules than those governing the 125 men who sleep for free on foam mats just inches from each other one floor below. But the main difference, shelter representatives say, is that the 125 men who pay for accommodations upstairs under a program that began July 1 are taking part in their own recovery process. Such newfound responsibility, organizers hope, will aid them in finding permanent housing.
``The fact that it's full says something,'' said Tracy Berglund, associate administrator of Catholic Charities. ``I think folks, perhaps, want to be challenged. We want to encourage people to take the next step.''
Paying for shelter isn't a new concept. It's practiced across the nation and at some locations in the Twin Cities area - although it has been criticized by some who work with the homeless.
Another organization, House of Charity in Minneapolis, launched its own pay-for-stay program, also catering to men only, in June.
It also charges $3 a night but requires a two-week commitment from clients. The organization couples its housing with a savings program that requires the men to put away $31.50 a month toward the damage deposit or first month's rent on more permanent housing.
``I think anytime people are more accountable for their housing, it opens up space in the continuum of housing,'' said Ed Eide, House of Charity's executive director. ``Some people choose to stay at shelters and they have the wherewithal to pay for housing, which sometimes takes a bed from someone who doesn't have the wherewithal. If we don't have other options, we just warehouse people, which is unacceptable.''
Becoming simply an overnight storage place for the homeless was the fear that prompted Catholic Charities to propose its pay-for-stay program. A task force on homelessness sponsored jointly by Minneapolis and Hennepin County recommended the measure in early 2000.
After being given the go-ahead from the city and county, the nonprofit Catholic Charities netted $385,000 in grants to update the facility's restrooms, install showers and add laundry facilities. An additional $60,000 was raised to hire two new staffers for the program.
Homeless men make up 60 to 70 percent of the patrons at 1000 Currie Av. Other transient people, such as drug addicts or the mentally ill, make up the rest.
Saving money while immersed in the ``constant instability and chaos'' of shelters is difficult, said Allison Boisvert-, senior director of housing and community outreach services at Catholic Charities. She said the new program introduces more stability into their lives.
Moving on?
Tommy Slaughter, a 55-year-old pipe layer who's bounced around different facilities since arriving in the area from Atlanta in 1995, says it's already working for him. "`I can have an apartment in the next week or so if I wanted to, because I just got a job,'' he said.
If he finds a place, Catholic Charities will give the money he's paid in the pay-for-stay program to his new landlord. Men who don't find permanent housing never see their money again. They can stay at the Catholic Charities for up to four months within a year.
At House of Charity, four men have already moved into some type of transitional housing. Its facility at 510 S. 8th St. can house 12 men but currently has 10.
Organizers at Catholic Charities are giving themselves more time before evaluating the effectiveness of their program. So far, they say, an ``overwhelming majority'' of the men have been receptive to paying for a bed and don't mind following the rules, which include practicing better hygiene, avoiding fights and staying more sober.
``There's a greater general respect for each other up there,'' said Dominick Bouza, the program coordinator. ``It gives them a little more dignity, a little more self-respect.''
- Chao Xiong is at cxiong@startribune.com.
