Avivo Village allows pets, recognizing that many people experiencing homelessness will refuse shelter rather than leave an animal behind.
By July 2026, Avivo reported that 73 dogs and cats had lived with residents at the village.
What might sound like a small policy decision can make the difference between someone accepting shelter or remaining outdoors.
More Than a Bed
One of the most important parts of the Avivo Village model is that it does not treat homelessness as a problem solved simply by providing somewhere to sleep.
The private rooms are only the first step.
Residents can also be connected with a range of services, including case management, mental-health care, substance-use treatment, medical support, employment assistance and help finding permanent housing.
That matters because homelessness is rarely caused by one factor.
Someone may lose housing after losing a job.
Another person may be dealing with untreated mental illness.
Someone else may be escaping domestic violence.
A medical emergency may lead to debt and eviction.
Addiction may make it difficult to maintain stable housing.
A criminal record may make employment harder to obtain.
The death of a spouse or family member may remove someone's financial safety net.
And once someone becomes homeless, new problems can quickly appear.
Without an address, applying for work can become more complicated.
Without secure storage, identification documents and personal belongings may be lost or stolen.
Without reliable sleep, physical and mental health can deteriorate.
Without transportation, getting to appointments becomes difficult.
Homelessness can therefore become self-reinforcing.
Avivo Village attempts to interrupt that cycle by placing multiple forms of assistance in the same environment.
The basic idea is straightforward:
First, give someone enough safety to stop worrying about where they will sleep that night.
Then begin addressing everything else.
Housing First
Avivo says the village operates using a Housing First and harm-reduction approach.
Housing First is based on the idea that people generally have a better chance of addressing addiction, mental illness, unemployment or other problems after their immediate housing crisis has been stabilized.
In older models, a person might be expected to become sober, complete treatment, find work or meet other requirements before becoming eligible for stable housing.
Housing First reverses that logic.
It starts by treating shelter and housing as the foundation from which other problems can be addressed.
Avivo Village is still temporary shelter rather than permanent housing, but its broader philosophy follows that principle.
A resident does not need to become a completely different person before being worthy of safety.
They begin with safety.
Then the program works toward housing.
Harm Reduction Inside the Village
Another important element is harm reduction.
Rather than assuming that every resident will immediately stop using drugs or alcohol, harm reduction focuses on reducing death and serious injury while helping people access treatment when they are ready.
The statistics from Avivo Village show why this approach can be critical.
As of July 2026, Avivo reported that staff had reversed 261 overdoses since the program opened.
Each of those reversals represents a potential life saved.
It also reveals the seriousness of the health challenges faced by many people experiencing homelessness.
Opioid addiction and homelessness often overlap.
People using drugs outdoors may be particularly vulnerable because they are isolated, exposed to contaminated substances, or far from medical help.
Inside a staffed shelter, the situation can be different.
Someone can be found quickly.
Naloxone can be administered.
Emergency services can be contacted.
Treatment options can be discussed afterward.
Saving someone's life does not guarantee that recovery will follow.
But recovery is impossible if that person dies first.
The Role of Mental-Health Care
Mental health is another major part of the equation.
Living outside can worsen existing psychiatric conditions.
At the same time, untreated mental illness can make it more difficult to maintain employment, relationships or housing.
Avivo already operates broader chemical-health and mental-health services across Minnesota, and the village connects residents with those resources.
According to Avivo's 2025 annual report, thousands of people across the organization received chemical-health or mental-health services during the year.
At Avivo Village, support can include mental-health assessments, therapy and referrals to additional care.
The goal is not simply to move someone from a tent into a room.
It is to identify the combination of problems preventing that person from reaching long-term stability.