Oshki-Gakeyaa
PRESS RELEASE: A new path to stability for individuals in Minneapolis
September 25, 2025
CONTACT
Ruth Buffalo rbuffalo@miwrc.org
(612) 728-2008
2300 15th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center Opens
Permanent Housing to Support Families and Safer Communities
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – In a groundbreaking step to address Minnesota’s housing crisis, the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) today opened Oshki-Gakeyaa (Oh-sh- key-Gah-key-yah), meaning “New Way,” a 24-unit Permanent Supportive Housing community in the East Phillips and Ventura Village neighborhood of Minneapolis.
The new housing development provides stability for unhoused families and individuals by combining safe, newly renovated apartments with holistic case management. Twenty units are dedicated to high-priority unsheltered single relatives, filled through coordinated entry referrals, while four units are reserved for people with disabilities referred directly through MIWRC.
As cited in reports by the National League of Cites, Native Americans face disproportionate rates of homelessness and based on data from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, Black and Native American people are more likely to experience homelessness at higher rates than any other racial or ethnic groups in America. For more than 40 years, MIWRC has served the Twin Cities American Indian and Alaska Native population by empowering individuals, families, and the community through a broad range of comprehensive, innovative, and community-based programs and services to enhance a healthy, thriving urban Native community. MIWRC has helped connect its community to resources and its strengths-based, community led, responsive approach is one of the reasons why the organization was selected to be the service provider for the tenants of Oshki-gakeyaa.
“Every individual and family deserves the dignity of a safe home,” says MIWRC’s CEO Ruth Buffalo. “Safe, stable housing gives people the foundation to live with hope and responsibility, while also strengthening family bonds and community connections. When individuals and families are secure, they can work, contribute, and help build a stronger local economy. As more of our neighbors find stability, the entire Twin Cities is blessed with greater safety, strength, and opportunity.”
MIWRC is partnering with a third-party management group, Shelter Corporation, for onsite tenant needs and Hennepin County's Streets to Housing Outreach team, to provide coordinated entry assessments.
Dana Lorenston, Director of Operations at Shelter Corporation says of the partnership, “As the management agent for the Oshki-Gakeyaa Tenant Units, Shelter Corporation is honored to partner with the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (MIWRC) to provide this important housing resource. This development is part of a broader effort to address the urgent housing needs of high-priority homeless populations. We are proud to support MIWRC in offering critical wraparound services, ensuring that these units provide not just housing, but a supportive environment for residents to rebuild and thrive.”
Additionally, Julia Welle Ayres, Director of Affordable Housing Development at Hennepin County says, “Housing ends homelessness, and that's why Hennepin County is supporting this project with $400k in capital funding plus $35k per year in ongoing service funding from our supportive housing strategy. We are also providing lease-up support through our coordinated entry system. We are grateful for MIWRC's partnership with our person-centered and proven coordinated entry team."
The opening of Oshki-Gakeyaa is just the beginning. To help new residents settle into their homes, MIWRC has set up an Amazon Wish List where community members can purchase essential household supplies. Every contribution, big or small, helps ensure that families can start this new chapter with dignity and hope: https://a.co/59LuMKY
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About the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center:
The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Native women and families strengthen their values, overcome challenges, and build stability. Through services rooted in tradition, advocacy, and community programs, we support individuals and families in creating safe, strong, and thriving futures. To learn more about MIWRC, please visit: www.miwrc.org.