Sacred Settlements in Minnesota Proves Housing Solutions Work Best When Neighbors Share Life, Not Just Space
Three churches in Minnesota are experimenting with a new way to treat chronic homelessness using a radical form of hospitality.
Together, the churches have created a tiny home community known as Sacred Settlements. It’s a six-home community that reserves four homes for people exiting chronic homelessness and two homes for residents who want to help formerly homeless people reconnect with the broader community.
Sacred Settlements was founded in 2022 and operates using a Housing First approach, meaning people leaving the streets are given a home before they are asked to enter other treatment or services. This approach has come under fire during the second Trump administration, as federal policies seek to expand the criminalization of homelessness.
“It’s not short-term housing, it’s not a stop to someplace better, it’s not you have 90 days to get better,” Meredith Campbell, whose family oversees the Mosaic Sacred Settlement, told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “It’s a commitment to the permanent, which means that our lives are changed, too. When we say there’s room in our lives, there’s room in our calendars, at our table, at our house. That sort of reciprocal relationship is necessary for transformation, and we’ve seen it.”
According to the Star-Tribune, the site has shown that “people once written off as unwilling to receive help can find stability in the right environment.” The outlet spoke with two current residents of Sacred Settlement, both of whom said the community has changed them in ways other shelter operations couldn’t.
“I totally changed my whole perspective,” Ryan McNeely, who was homeless for about a decade before moving into Sacred Settlement, told the outlet. “I thought they were just judging me and stuff, listening to the negative voices. Now that I’ve opened up more and let them get closer, I know they’re here to help me.”
Tiny Homes as a Growing Solution to Homelessness
Tiny homes are not a new solution to homelessness, but they are one that has become increasingly popular in recent years as building costs for traditional homes have skyrocketed. Cities across the country have built tiny home communities to house people who are homeless, and to varying degrees of success.
Many of these communities use Housing First principles to address local cases of homelessness as well. This approach has helped numerous people experiencing homelessness find stable shelter and connect with local service providers. But some say there is a piece of the puzzle that is still missing, which is the opportunity to rebuild community with people who are not homeless.
That is the issue that Sacred Settlements was designed to solve. Residents and people exiting homelessness often work together to solve problems the community faces. For instance, the Star-Tribune reported on one incident where a resident was convinced that a demon was living on their doorstep. A community member banished the evil spirit in the name of Jesus, which brought relief to the resident.
“Serving the poor is from cover to cover in the Bible,” Pastor Dave Brickey at Church of the Open Door, one of the churches participating in the settlement, told the Star-Tribune. “To me, the opportunity to support this landed on a plate in front of us, and we had a choice of whether we were going to be obedient or not.”
Do Tiny Homes Work? What the Data Shows
Experts have raised a lot of questions about the viability of tiny homes as a solution to homelessness. To some, tiny homes represent the bare minimum of what a city can do to solve homelessness. Others have taken issue with the location of tiny home communities, especially those located far away from services and other community connection points.
While tiny homes may not be able to address every case of homelessness, research shows they are an effective way to transition some people from temporary housing to permanent supportive housing.
According to research from the Low Income Housing Institute, 63% of people who lived in tiny home communities in the Seattle-King County region transitioned to permanent supportive housing in 2023. That total is up from 50% who transitioned to permanent housing in 2022.
Tiny home villages have also become one of the most popular shelter options for people experiencing homelessness, LHI found. For instance, researchers spoke with outreach workers in Seattle who reported that most of their clients request to be placed in a tiny home compared to a more traditional shelter.
These are just a couple of reasons why cities like Seattle continue to invest in tiny homes for people exiting homelessness. In June, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the city will add more than 100 new tiny homes by the end of 2025. The homes include onsite security, hygiene facilities, storage, laundry, and supportive services with specialized trained staff for residents. The 100 new homes are supported by a $5.9 million investment from the city.
“Addressing homelessness is a top priority for Seattle, and we’ll continue to invest in proven solutions to help our unhoused neighbors heal and get on a path to permanent housing and long-term stability,” Harrell said in a statement. “Expanding available shelter is part of our broader, multilayered strategy to meet urgent needs while simultaneously tackling root causes and increasing affordable permanent housing.”
Support Compassionate Solutions to Homelessness
Handcuffs will never solve homelessness. The pandemic proved that we need to rethink housing in the United States. It also showed that many programs designed to address homelessness are rooted in law enforcement rather than social services.
Tell your representatives you support revamping how your city addresses homelessness. Handcuffs do not get anyone closer to stable housing. Instead, we must focus on compassionate solutions—the first step toward ending homelessness.