CHUM receives $2 million in federal funding

Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office informed CHUM on Christmas Eve that the organization would be the recipient of $2 million through Minnesota’s Congressionally-Directed Spending. CHUM had applied for funding to increase shelter capacity in April 2022.

“That’s going to allow us to be able to expand to capacity. Duluth is experiencing a housing crisis, as well as a homeless crisis. We have capacity for 80 persons and we provided shelter to over 150 persons every night. This is something we’ve been dreaming up for such a long time,” says John Cole, Executive Director of CHUM.

CHUM is the largest emergency shelter provider north of the Twin Cities. With its social services and partners, they are working on a general response to unsheltered homelessness.

“We need services. A lot of our folks are grappling with chemical addiction and mental health addiction and trauma. We need to be able to partner with those resources to be able to help. We have a shortage of personnel professionals who will be able to respond and to help those persons who come to search. So there is need for human resource, there is need for residential facilities,” continues Cole.

According to Cole, every night CHUM has over 500 people who are scrounging, looking for a place to lay their heads and to sleep. And in the cold conditions of Duluth, it’s really a matter of life and death.

“Duluth, really does not have enough shelter beds… The city has 155 beds, with over 500 persons in need and over 1300 persons on coordinated entry lists. It’s staggering. And we really need to do something. And so this $2 million is a start,” finishes Cole.

To learn more about CHUM, click here: https://www.chumduluth.org/