Olmsted County Receives Housing Grant

The funds will be used to operate The Creek and Rochester Community Warming Center.

And i'm george mallet.

First tonight ?

"* olmsted couny is receiving over a million dollars to help house homeless community members.

Kimt news three's anthony monzon joins us live with why officials are calling this a major win for our community.

Anthony?

Well katie and george... i'm here at the rochester community warming center... and tonight is actually the facility's first night back at its original location after a coronavirus outbreak forced it to move to the mayo civic center.

It underscores some of the major challenges shelters have been facing during the pandemic.

But tonight... the warming center's future is secure for at least another year after the state awarded olmsted county over a million dollars to keep the lights on.

Olmsted county says the grant will fully fund operations at the warming center and the creek... a short?

"*term shelter in rochester... through january of 2022.

It'll cover expenses like staffing and sanitation... which have increased since the start of the pandemic.

Funding for these facilities was set to run out just next month.

Olmsted county housing director dave dunn says this grant comes at a pivotal moment with cold weather threatening the safety of "we know it's probably only a matter of time still before we get weather that can be deadly.

And so being able to keep people safe is of the utmost importance.

And what this grant allows us to do is, for the remainder of this year, to keep people safe who are unsheltered and out in the community."

Olmsted county says the warming center has provided emergency shelter to more than 250 people since march of last year.

Live in rochester... anthony monzon... kimt news 3 thank you anthony.

Dunn says last year olmsted county funded the warming center using tax levy dollars before being reimbursed