After being approached by Ramsey County, Luther Seminary is exploring temporarily leasing a vacant building still planned for sale and redevelopment for the purpose of housing women and couples experiencing homelessness this winter.
Ramsey County plans a community engagement session November 17 to hear feedback and a Luther Seminary representative will attend. The county’s interest is due to the rising number of people who are housing insecure during the pandemic and economic fallout. The county would provide 24-hour security. The seminary would continue to maintain the building and grounds and is still moving forward with the sale of Lower Campus, including Stub Hall. Development partners intend to redevelop the Lower Campus with a mix of affordable, market-rate, and senior housing.
This proposed temporary plan to serve a community need is consistent with Luther Seminary’s Welcome Statement that says: In Christ, all are neighbors one to another. In a dynamic of mutual welcome, we seek to learn from one another’s particularities, including but not limited to differences of race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic circumstance, dis/ability, political perspective, ecclesial tradition, and theological commitments.
About Luther Seminary:
Luther Seminary educates leaders for Christian communities across the country and around the world. An innovator in theological education, the seminary is committed to exploring leading-edge approaches for Christian ministry, proclamation, and faith formation in a rapidly changing world. As one of the seven seminaries in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Luther Seminary has educated more than one-third of ELCA pastors, lay professionals, and leaders of many global Lutheran and ecumenical churches. Learn more at luthersem.edu.