All Things Considered

Shelter closures make homelessness in greater Minnesota more precarious

A man wearing an orange shirt smiles
Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless advocacy fellow Jason Urbanczyk smiles as he listens to Rep. Heather Keeler during an advocacy meeting in the State Office Building in St. Paul on March 20.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

A new report says homelessness in greater Minnesota is often more precarious than in the Twin Cities.

Notably, people experiencing homelessness in greater Minnesota are more likely to be in what the report calls "precarious shelter" such as, sleeping outside or in a car.

Jason Urbanczyk is an advocate with Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless and said two recent shelter closures in Moorhead have pushed more people into those situations.

“When you’re homeless in the greater Minnesota area, you understand that you have to be invisible,” he said. “The homelessness hides.”

For more of the conversation with Jason Urbanczyk, click play on the player above.