Focus on dignified emergency shelter at Harbor Light
For 75 years The Harbor Light Center in Minneapolis has served as the largest homeless facility in the state of Minnesota, providing a safety net for those with nowhere else to turn.
Our goal is provide safe, dignified shelter to the people who use our services, while working diligently to move them into housing. Our caseworkers help hundreds of people do just that every year.
It is important to note that emergency shelter is not housing, but rather a temporary solution.
“We can’t solve this problem alone,” said Captain Katherine Clausell, leader of The Harbor Light Center. “This is a community-wide issue, and it’s a not just a homeless problem, but a housing problem.”
The Harbor Light Center can safely provide emergency shelter beds and services for 421 people every night. (In addition there are single rooms for transitional living and a chemical dependency floor.)
Policies at The Harbor Light Center:
- We are able to provide beds for 147 women and 274 men each night.
- Up to an additional 50 women and men can be sheltered at First Covenant Church in Minneapolis (Nov. 1 – April 30).
- When the men’s beds are full, we will provide 50 additional mats on the floor of the chapel (Nov. 1 – April 30).
- All guests must show photo I.D. to stay. If they do not have I.D., we will provide them with a temporary one. No one will be turned away because they do not have an I.D.
- Identifying our guests helps us connect people with the services they need, while ensuring those services are not being duplicated at other facilities.
- Guests must participate in finding solutions to their situation. This includes encouraging people with income or other financial resources to contribute some of that money toward their housing. Case workers will continue helping them connect with available government and public resources, as well.
Please join The Salvation Army by volunteering at Harbor Light or making a donation to support your local community.