AEOA Homeless Programs

The 2023 Point-in-Time Count recorded 579 individuals who were homeless in St. Louis County, including 221 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, and 26 Veterans.

AEOA views our shelters as a vital investment in the community. The Agency owns and operates Bill’s House and Home on the Range emergency shelters, as well as the Virginia Youth Foyer. Our homeless programs provide community members with a safe space and access to services and resources that support individuals and families, including veterans and those escaping domestic violence, on their path to self-sufficiency 

• Bill’s House in Virginia consists of four emergency housing units and eight transitional housing units
• Home on the Range in Hibbing consists of 54 emergency housing units. This shelter opened in 2024 and is now the largest 30-day emergency shelter north of the Twin Cities and the only domestic violence shelter on the Iron Range.
• The Virginia Youth Foyer is permanent, independent living for youth who are homeless. The building consists of 13 efficiency units and two 2-bedroom units
• Two additional emergency apartment units are located in Hibbing

In 2024, AEOA’s homeless shelters served a total of 279 individuals. We anticipate these numbers to increase moving forward, as the new shelter only had one building open last year. In the last 3 years, 63% of residents have become successfully housed. 

On any given night in the United States, 580,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness, and 7,917 of those individuals are Minnesotans. In St. Louis County, there has been a 37% increase in the unsheltered population since 2007. For many people and families, domestic violence is the primary cause of their homelessness, and children make up 20% of those individuals that are homeless. In Minnesota, the average winter temperature is 15 F, with low temperatures reaching all the way down to -60 F. For someone homeless, these temperatures threaten frostbite, hypothermia, or even death. 

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