Model Cities and Central Baptist Church Partner to Provide New Location for Safe Space Shelter

(Saint Paul, MN – Wednesday, October 2) – After months of searching and navigating unforeseen challenges, Model Cities is proud to announce that a new location has been secured for Safe Space Shelter at Central Baptist Church in St. Paul located at 420 North Roy Street, St. Paul. This pivotal milestone comes after a call was put out to community earlier this summer for help after another relocation partnership fell through leaving the future of Safe Space and those that relied upon its services unknown. Read the full media release here.

About Safe Space Shelter

In November 2019, Model Cities began operating Safe Space Shelter in partnership with Ramsey County. Originally, Safe Space operated only during winter months, expanding to a year-round shelter that now serves nearly 2,000 adults each year. Safe Space has a new location moving from the Ramsey County Government Building to Central Baptist Church at 420 North Roy Street in Saint Paul. 

Changes to Safe Space’s services in 2024

Initially, Safe Space at Central Baptist will be able to provide 25 overnight beds to women. Model Cities and Central Baptist are proactively working with the city of St. Paul to increase that to 64 beds so they will be able to return to offering overnight beds to all gender identities at the same capacity as the former location. During the transition, Ramsey County’s Shelter Entry & Diversion Team will assist community in need to find alternative shelter options through the referral system.

Safe Space will continue to operate overnight from 10pm – 9am. The goal of Safe Space shelter is provide a safe, warm, place for unhoused neighbors to sleep and recharge. At Model Cities we believe that shelter is much more than providing a bed, it’s providing hospitality and dignity for our whole community. Our shelter staff work to find ways to bridge between housing insecurity and housing stability to help shelter guests refocus and create a plan for making tomorrow better than yesterday!

Reservations for Safe Space are made by Ramsey County’s Shelter Entry and Diversion team. 

People in need of emergency shelter, as well as community partners, are encouraged to contact the team for assistance using one of the following methods:

• Phone: 651-266-1050
• Email: ShelterEntry@ramseycounty.us 
• In-person: Saint Paul Opportunity Center, 422 Dorothy Day Place, Saint Paul, MN 55102 (Second floor)

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