HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing & Redevelopment Authority Minutes 02-10-1988 Special1
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARC, PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
DATE: January 19, 1989 for January 26,. 1989.HRA Meeting
TO: James G. Willis, Executive Director
FROM: Milt Dale, Housing Specialist
SUBJECT: DECEMBER 10, 1988 MEETING AND WALKING TOUR OF UNION CITY MISSION
CAMPUS
Present at this meeting were Chairman Gerry Neils, Commissioners Jon Gutzman,
Dave Crain, Rod Hillstrom, and Stephen Ludovissie. Others present: were Pat
Murphy, Executive Director for Union City Mission, Wayne Ward, Nursing Home
is Administrator, and Pat Neils, member of the Board of Directors for Union City
Mission, in addition to Blair Tremere, Director of Planning and Community
Development, and Milt Dale, dousing Specialist.
Pat Murphy gave Commissioners a brief history of the Union City Mission with
its start in 1895 by a group of 13 Minneapolis inner city churches.
Initially, these churches wanted to serve the "down and out alcoholics" of
Minneapolis. These churches also considered this a mission and as an
evangelical outreach. The original property for the Union City Mission was
very large, probably over 600 acres in size and was a working farm. (At that
time, it was called Mission Farms. Currently, Pat indicated they are looking
at a name change to "Pioneer Center"). Many of the men working on the farm
were unemployed carpenters and tradesmen who built many of the buildings that
were and now are a part of the campus. During the 1940's and 1950's, bible
camps were held during the summer.
Currently, Union City Mission serves primarily chronic, dependent people who
are on long term stays who attempt to maintain sobriety on paid work programs.
Many of the chronic, dependent people are in their 20's and 30's, in contrast
to some years ago when the clientele was more middle aged and older people.
Pat indicated the ages of their clientele is getting younger every year. The
average stay at Mission Lodge is 57 days, however sone stay as long as one
year. The program at present is full, with about 80 people in residence.
This program is also open to women, a unique situation as there are almost no
services for dependent women in the State of Minnesota. At present, they have
15 women in the program. Pat stated that one half of the homeless nationwide
are considered to be mentally ill. There is also a 22 bed detox facility on
James G. Willis
January 19, 1989
Page 2
the campus with 80% of those residents brought in by local area police. The
detox facility is a locked facility.
The Battered Women's Shelter, Home Free, has 30 beds. This facility was
started in 1980 and is always at full capacity. On the average, they have to
turn away 3 out of every 4 requests for a stay. There also is a domestic
intervention project with volunteers who go to the Crystal jail to visit
abusers or go into the homee to visit the abused. There are support groups
that meet at Home Free for these domestic cases. It is estimated that 35,000
women were assaulted last year in the State. Pat indicated they have some
excellent unpaid volunteers for their domestic intervention program.
Chairman Neils indicated that the Plymouth City government has been somewhat
standoffish" regarding City funding of social/welfare programs believing that
Hennepin County should fund those types of programs. He has, however, seen
some change in that attitude with the City Council budget now at about
30,000.00 per year for social/welfare programs.
Commissioner Crain indicated that data from Prism, an agency that serves the
needy, shows that there are a number of low income people living in Plymouth
who are elderly, handicapped and single parenc heads of households.
Pat Murphy stated that Sherburne House is one facility that is located off
campus, i.e. in St. Paul. chis is a chemical dependency program with 20 beds
for juveniles. This program is funded primarily by the parents of the boys in
residence. This program became part of the Union City Mission Corporation in
1480. Eventually they would like the program to be located on the Union City
Mission Campus. The St. Paul location is inadequate, as it has no yard or
playfield for the boys. The current program takes about five months for a
dependent boy to complete.
The largest building on the campus is the old chapel. It has been converted
into a nursing home with 100 beds. The new adminis±rator is Wayne Ward.
Normally they have between 85 and 90 residents at any one time. This facility
is licensed for both nursing home care and has a 32 bed license for board and
care. It appears that board and care is "going out of style" due to the
surplus of elderly housing units in the metro area. The population of the
nursing home is all male and most of the residents are older chronic
alcoholics. Some of these clients have mental illness or an organic problem.
About 90% of those residents are on Medical Assistance.
Commissioner Ludovissie wondered if there were any private funding sources
available. Pat indicated that Home Free does get some small contributions.
She said they do not get United Way funding for some unknown reason. This
lack of United Way funding is a disturbing situation, since all of the other
battered women shelters in the metro area are getting United Way funding.
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