Indigenous Protector Movement to become new owners and stewards of campus building
Exciting changes are ahead for the future of our block. Later this year, the St. Stephen’s Residence – currently owned by Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church (OSLC) and operated by Our Saviour’s Community Services (OSCS) – will legally change ownership and a new organization will join the shared South Minneapolis campus. Indigenous Protector Movement (IPM) is a nonprofit organization designed to resource, scale, and sustain urban Indigenous-led advocacy and healing initiatives. Beginning in October, Indigenous Protector Movement will be expanding their footprint in Minneapolis, becoming the owners and stewards of the St. Stephen’s Residence and an adjacent lot.
For more than 20 years, OSCS has had the privilege of stewarding the green house at the corner of 24th Street and Elliot Avenue as part of its Our Saviour’s Housing program, leasing the space from OSLC at a very low cost. OSCS first used the building as transitional housing; since 2021, OSCS has operated the building as permanent supportive housing. OSCS prioritizes onsite housing units like St. Stephen’s Residence for participants with ties to the immediate neighborhood and/or high barriers to housing.
“St. Stephen’s Residence has been a beacon of community and stability for residents of our housing program for many years,” says Mike Huffman, Executive Director of Our Saviour’s Community Services. “We look forward to welcoming Indigenous Protector Movement to our shared campus, and watching the building take on a new role for the community under the leadership of Indigenous Protector Movement.”
As part of joint work with OSLC to reimagine the half-block campus for deeper community impact, Our Saviour’s Community Services has quietly planned for this transition for more than a year. Tenants were given as much notice as possible. For the last few months, OSCS strategically left units open to minimize disruptions for new residents.
What’s next?
All St. Stephen’s Residence tenants are on track to move into their next homes by the end of August. Residents will continue to work alongside an Our Saviour’s Housing case manager and participate in the Our Saviour’s Housing permanent supportive housing program. The program will continue to provide case management to around 100 people at a time, with around 94% of those residents living in off-campus housing. Our Saviour’s Community Services will continue to operate a small number of on-campus housing units in another building on the block.
Over the next few months, Our Saviour’s Community Services staff will lead small improvements to St. Stephen’s Residence before Indigenous Protector Movement takes ownership in October. If you or a group you belong to may be interested in helping with painting, cleaning, yardwork, light repairs, or removing furniture, please contact the Our Saviour’s Community Services Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator, Zoe Meyers, for information about volunteering: volunteer@oscs-mn.org or 612-386-6626.
Vin Dionne (Board member, Indigenous Protector Movement), Rev. Martha Bardwell (Lead Pastor, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church), Mike Huffman (Executive Director, Our Saviour’s Community Services), and Rachel Dionne-Thunder (CEO, Indigenous Protector Movement) attend a celebration of the upcoming land transfer.
For more information:
Land reparations as community investment – a template for the future – Indigenous Protector Movement
From Minneapolis to the Capitol, Minnesota’s Land Back movement gains momentum – KARE11
Indigenous-led organization receives property from Minneapolis church as an act of reparation – Minnesota Public Radio