OCT 10, 2024: Agate Housing and Services confirms a fire started near one of its properties in South Minneapolis spread to its Metro Inn affordable housing property at 5637 Lyndale Ave S., damaging 16 of its 38 units.
The fire, which started in a garage adjacent to the Metro Inn facility, began in the late hours of Oct. 9 and spread to the Metro Inn and another building Agate estimates that 16 low-income housing units were damaged beyond livable conditions. No injuries were reported for Metro Inn residents. and the cause of the fire is currently unknown.
Because of the fire, the power and gas are off for the entire property for a few days. A full assessment of the property will determine which units are still livable. The initial estimate was that 16 of the 38 units are damaged beyond quick repair.
The facility provides very low rent housing for 38 people who have experienced homelessness. The residents of this facility are some of the hardest to house, as they do not qualify for subsidy programs. The rent of $450 is paid by the residents in full, without support of other programs. Most residents work full time.
The Red Cross was on the scene overnight, and ensured all residents had overnight shelter. Today, Agate is working with the residents to assess their next steps.
“Our first care is for our residents,” said Agate Executive Director Kyle Hanson. “They’re safe, but this is a traumatic experience. And now they are at even greater risk of becoming homeless. It’s a terrible situation.”
The fire comes soon after an Aug. 15 announcement that Agate was closing another building at 510 S. 8th St. That property housed up to 140 individuals through a temporary shelter and a board and lodge program. Agate was already working with 80 impacted residents at that building to find new homes. Fortunately, Agate and its community partners have found housing most of these individuals, with others continuing to be housed in local hotels in the near term.
Rehoming the residents impacted by the fire will be Agate’s next task, as we come closer to the cold temperatures of a Minnesota winter.
“Agate’s work is about supporting those who face homelessness,” Hanson said. “We will do everything in our power to ensure everyone who lives in these facilities has a safe place to live. We are thankful to all our community partners for assisting us, including the firefighters and others who helped keep our Metro Inn residents safe from harm.”
