Type: Transitional Housing
Developer: Avivo
Owner: Avivo
Architects: AWH Architects
Site Size: 1.12 acres (0.45 ha)
Date Opened: January 1, 2021
Date Completed: March 1, 2021
Building Area: 48,600 square feet (4,515 sq m)
Open Space: 2,000 square feet (186 sq m)
Parking Spaces: 50
In a historically redlined neighborhood of Minneapolis, a former industrial warehouse has become a supportive, low-barrier sanctuary for the unsheltered. Up to 200 residents can live at Avivo Village, each in their own private sleeping unit. Single-occupant shower rooms, nongendered restrooms, and communal kitchenettes and coffee areas are all ADA-compliant.
The project emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests following the killing of George Floyd. As more encampments grew in Minneapolis parks, and with traditional shelters in short supply, the nonprofit organization Avivo worked closely with the indigenous White Earth Nation, local authorities, and the local neighborhood to bridge the gap between temporary shelter and permanent housing.
Creating Avivo Village required navigating complex bureaucratic hurdles by leveraging emergency regulations from the mayor’s office, zoning amendments, and building code modifications.
The design team transformed the warehouse’s high-bay industrial space into discreet residential clusters—four to eight single-occupancy units—arranged to resemble neighborhoods. Support services and staff offices border these residential areas, ensuring residents maintain autonomy and have easy access to the on-site mental health counseling, housing assistance, and substance abuse program.
Repurposing an existing building both reduced construction waste and shortened the timeline. Energy-efficient technologies such as LED lighting further shrank the facility’s carbon footprint. The site is convenient to public transit, including bus and light rail routes, and includes bicycle parking as well.
In a departure from traditional shelters, Avivo Village forgoes rigid rules and restrictions. Residents enjoy private living spaces equipped with essential amenities, promoting both security and dignity. The facility’s nongendered facilities and culturally relevant programming foster inclusion of diverse populations; multilingual signage and emergency response systems accommodate a variety of languages.
By providing comprehensive services, Avivo Village helps residents stabilize their lives and transition toward permanent housing. In addition, the holistic approach saves taxpayers money by reducing the burden on emergency services, as well as on the healthcare and criminal justice systems.
(Avivo Village/AWH Architects)
By providing comprehensive services, Avivo Village helps residents stabilize their lives and transition toward permanent housing. In addition, the holistic approach saves taxpayers money by reducing the burden on emergency services, as well as on the healthcare and criminal justice systems.
Partnerships with local organizations, businesses, and government agencies ensure the facility benefits both residents and the surrounding neighborhood. Regular data collection and feedback loops with residents, staff, and community members enable continuous improvements and adaptability to changing needs.
The project’s collaborative financing model combines foundation grants, corporate support, and funding from city, county, and state sources through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Fee-for-service revenue from diagnostic assessments, mental health therapy, and treatment services provides additional operational stability. This diversified funding approach helps Avivo Village attain long-term financial viability.
The American Institute of Architects Minnesota awarded Avivo Village its “Excellence in Design for Well-Being” commendation in 2021. As communities across the country continue to grapple with homelessness, Avivo Village demonstrates that shelters can be more than temporary waystations—they can be catalysts for healing, empowerment, and social change.
