In Minnesota’s Twin Cities, a nondenominational church — Church of the Open Door — is doing its part in reducing homelessness.
Working with local officials and other nonprofit partners, the church is planning a 12-unit tiny house community near the back of its main building, set to be constructed by the summer of 2026.
“The resources of our church family are not ours. Every dollar and square inch of our property are God’s and to be stewarded by us for His Kingdom advancement on earth as in Heaven,” Open Door Pastor David Brickey told Christian Post.
“Jesus is our primary example of how to live and steward these resources. In that, we have re-envisioned our land and building as being less an event venue and more a homestead of healing for our community.”
According to Brickey, the homes will be divided into two sections. Eight homes will be for people experiencing “chronic homelessness,” or being homeless for at least 12 months. These individuals also often have some kind of disability.
Four homes will be set aside for “Intentional Neighbors,” or people who have not experienced homelessness but want to serve as a “good neighbor” for the others on the property.
“Our primary reason is our Gospel call,” Brickey added. “We are followers of Jesus who practice the way of Jesus in our daily lives. Core to Jesus’ message and lifestyle is caring for the poor.”
Brickey said the model of the Sacred Settlement neighborhoods has been a proven success at other congregations in the Twin Cities. This includes Sacred Settlement Mosaic, a community in St. Paul, to which Brickey attributed “deep, wholistic healing” and “zero crime, zero police involvement, and zero neighbor complaints.”
Despite this, some neighbors near Open Door are not enthusiastic about the new development. A group of area residents has formed a coalition called “No Settlement Maple Grove,” citing safety concerns and a desire for rules about potential drug and alcohol use.
Settled, a nonprofit that helps churches like Open Door create these communities, has been supportive of this project.
“I would argue every major world religion has a mission to care for the poor,” Gabrielle Clowdus, founder and CEO of Settled, told the Minnesota Star Tribune.
She added that churches meet with surrounding communities to agree on plans and requirements for each community, like restricting noise or panhandling, for example.
Background checks are completed for each resident, and in a previous settlement in St. Paul, leaders chose not to admit anyone with a violent criminal history, the Star Tribune reported.
Additionally, a state law that took effect in 2024 allows churches to build Sacred Settlements without some zoning restrictions and includes outlines for safety and security.
“If they’d like to invite them off the street, into an intentional, supportive community, then local zoning won’t be a barrier for a church to carry out its mission,” Clowdus added.
Brickey remains steadfast in the church’s pursuit to help homeless community members, just as Sacred Settlement Mosaic has done in St. Paul.
“Many of the neighbors have started new professions and have restarted old ones,” he told Christian Post. “Some neighbors have been reunited with family they were separated from through their homeless season.”
In these tiny homes, residents pay between $200 and $400 in rent and help take care of the community. Inside the church, they have access to common areas with kitchens, bathrooms, showers, and living areas.
Intentional Neighbors, church members, and other volunteers help residents access services and job opportunities and drive them to appointments.
The Sacred Settlements do not have a religious requirement for residents, according to MinnPost, though each church can develop its own criteria for the community.
“It’s important to note that because this is completely privately funded, we get to choose who moves into this community based on pre-chosen criteria,” Brickey told Christian Post.
“Additionally, we are on the streets weekly and know many people experiencing homelessness in our community. Those relationships are also a key part in discerning who is a right fit.”
While the newest — and largest — Sacred Settlement in Minnesota is still in its early stages, Brickey is confident it will echo the work of the ones that paved the way.
“Our mission is to mobilize and equip the community of Christ into a lifestyle of hospitality,” the Sacred Settlement Mosaic website shares. “We believe the role of the church, both here in St. Paul and across the world, is to lift up people who our systems and cultures have pushed down. This includes the homeless.”
Header image courtesy of Settled
