Former St. Paul convent to be leased for family shelter

A former convent for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Paul will be used as a temporary shelter for homeless families, under an agreement approved March 5 by the city’s planning commission.

The shelter, for about 20 to 25 families with a 100-person limit, will be ready in coming weeks to serve for one year as an Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul’s Project Home shelter, followed by a month-to-month option, officials said.

Families in the Project Home program generally spend about 40 days in a shelter as they work to connect with more stable housing, said John Viktora-Croke, executive director of operations for the Sisters of St. Joseph.

The building can be used to help meet an immediate need, which fits the religious order’s mission, said Sister Cathy Steffens, a member of the leadership team for the Province of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

“Of course, it begins with our mission,” Sister Steffens said. “Moving always toward love of God and love of neighbor, without distinction.”

The Provincial House, at 1880 Randolph Ave., was built in 1927 as a home for the sisters. It has been underutilized over the last 10 years, serving as a site for meetings, events and a place for guests, Sister Steffens said.

But the building is used, and the sisters will share the kitchen and dining area with the families, she said.

“That seems to me a perfect thing,” she said. “We are not just giving from our excess, though it is partly that. But it’s an indication of a willingness to share space we have been using.”

Some playground equipment is planned outside, and there are trees and walking paths the families can enjoy, Sister Steffens said.

The shelter proposal has drawn wide interest and much support, with town hall meetings Dec. 21 and Jan. 5 drawing 282 people and 245 people, respectively, Viktora-Croke said. The city’s zoning committee received a few letters from people opposed to the project, but more than 60 letters in support, he said. The eight-member zoning committee unanimously approved the proposal.

Sheltering the homeless has been a challenge in the Twin Cities and it has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn, Ramsey County and St. Paul officials have said.