Minneapolis Warming Center Expands Services to Meet Surging Demand

MIWRC partners with local organizations to provide food, shelter, and critical resources to those facing homelessness and housing instability.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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As winter temperatures plunge in Minneapolis, the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (MIWRC) continues to operate an Indigenous-led warming center that provides food, shelter, and critical services to people facing homelessness and housing instability. To meet rising demand, MIWRC has partnered with local organizations to effectively double its overnight capacity, offering up to 20 overflow beds when the center reaches capacity. The warming center provides hot meals, overnight shelter during extreme cold, and expanded daytime services including housing assistance and medical screenings.

Why it matters

The warming center's services are crucial as Native Americans experience homelessness at higher rates than other racial groups in Minnesota, with nearly half of Native Americans experiencing homelessness statewide living in Hennepin County. The center's culturally responsive approach aims to address both immediate survival needs and long-term housing stability for the Indigenous community and others in need.

The details

The MIWRC warming center first opened last winter in response to dangerous weather conditions and the lack of accessible emergency shelter options. It now operates year-round, providing breakfast and lunch, access to housing assistance, and a mobile medical unit during weekly 'Resource Connect' days. The center has seen a significant increase in turnout, sometimes serving up to 200 people in a single day. However, long-term funding remains a concern as the original city grant has expired.

  • The MIWRC warming center first opened last winter.
  • The center now operates year-round, with weekly 'Resource Connect' days.

The players

Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (MIWRC)

An Indigenous-led organization that operates a warming center in Minneapolis to provide food, shelter, and critical services to people facing homelessness and housing instability.

Nenookaasi Ozhige

A local organization that has partnered with MIWRC to help expand the warming center's capacity.

Avivo Village

A North Loop organization that has partnered with MIWRC to provide overflow beds when the warming center reaches capacity.

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What’s next

The MIWRC has applied for additional grants to help maintain staffing levels and services at the warming center, as the original city funding has expired.

The takeaway

The MIWRC warming center's expansion of services and partnerships highlights the critical need for culturally responsive and community-driven solutions to address the growing crisis of homelessness and housing instability, particularly among the Indigenous population in Minneapolis.