After being approached by Ramsey County, Luther Seminary has agreed to lease Stub Hall, 2329 W Hendon Ave, St Paul—currently a vacant building on the seminary campus—for the purpose of housing people experiencing homelessness. The county’s interest in this rental is due to the rising number of people living in St. Paul who are housing insecure and the need to provide emergency overnight homeless shelters in the city. This lease is consistent with Luther Seminary’s Welcome Statement, which 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.

All logistics of the arrangement, including resident interactions, will be managed by Model Cities, a St. Paul-based nonprofit organization that provides social and economic prosperity by providing access to opportunities that stabilize and develop families and communities. The official move of Safe Space Shelter to Luther Seminary is anticipated in summer 2024. While the lease is expected to begin on July 1, an opening date for the shelter has not been finalized yet as there are several organizational and structural activities that need to take place prior to the shelter occupying the space. Luther Seminary will continue to maintain the building and grounds for the duration of the 3-year lease.

At this time, there are no pending offers related to the Luther Seminary Lower Campus property, which includes Lauderdale and St. Paul parcels encompassing Northwestern Hall, Stub Hall, and Breck Woods. Given challenging market conditions, the seminary’s board of directors voted in fall 2023 to remove the property from active sale and to explore rental agreements for Stub Hall and Northwestern Hall with organizations whose missions are in alignment with the seminary’s mission. Our commitment to sell the seminary’s lower campus has not changed.

Community members with questions can contact Heidi Droegemueller, hdroegemueller001@luthersem.edu. Please direct any external or media inquiries to Rachel Farris at farrisr@augsburg.edu.