St. Francis Apartments Celebrates 3 Years of Housing Seniors In Need

DULUTH, Minn. — Chum is celebrating the three-year anniversary of St. Francis Apartments.

The apartments house seniors who have experienced long periods of homelessness. They connect their tenants to resources such as primary healthcare to reduce reliance on emergency services. They also provide some nutritious meals reducing food insecurity, and host activities such as bingo and craft nights. On Tuesday to celebrate they had some special activities such as a blessing of the pets and more.

“The Department of Health and Human services in 2023 had brought out a report saying that the elderly are the fastest growing segment of homeless population in this country and by 2030 its going to triple. And that means that any responsible organization leadership in the community has to pay attention to the fact that those seniors are living precariously. And so, Chum is trying to do its best to make sure we provide housing and the kind of facilities that are going to be able to support the various needs being presented by an ageing population,” said John Cole, Executive Director of Chum.

Cole also mentioned they are currently seeking donations to make the apartments more accessible and ADA compliant, as well as hoping to replace the windows. To donate or find more information you can visit Chum’s website at chumduluth.org.