Downtown Community Storage Program Surpasses 1,000 Clients Served

The Downtown Community Storage Program officially passed 1,000 clients served this summer and continues to provide space for members of the downtown community to store their valuables in short- or long-term capacities.

Launched in late 2021 and located in the basement of Ramp B, the storage facility ensures people’s belongings are safe and secure. As of today, the program has served 1,200 clients.

The Downtown Community Storage Program launched as a resource for those experiencing homelessness in an effort to ease the constant stress and anxiety of making sure belongings aren’t lost, left behind or stolen. It is also a resource for people attending local events who need to store belongings while they are at a venue.

Through funding from the City of Minneapolis, Ameriprise and DID, the Downtown Community Storage Program offers free storage for personal belongings for an unlimited amount of time.

Clients often take advantage of this unlimited amount of storage time as they work towards obtaining housing. Client success is often measured by testimonials detailing their appreciation for storage as a place to keep belongings secure while in housing transition.

“We are thrilled with the continued success the Downtown Community Storage Program is having in our community – and other communities as well,” said Joe Kreisman, Social Impact Manager at the Mpls Downtown Improvement District. “We’ve had outreach from other communities, including Duluth, on how to start up similar programs due to the success and impact our program is making in the community. This is an important resource for many who need help with taking care of their belongings. At any given time, we have hundreds of clients using this space, and we are proud to provide this service.”

The storage program is open on Mondays through Fridays from 9am–5pm. To learn more or contact the Downtown Community Storage program, visit www.mplsdid.com/storage.

Success stories include: 

• Client D came to us from our DID Hennepin County Social Worker James, he had called and said that the client has quite a bit of belongings, but they are in the process of getting housed and she didn’t want her belongings stolen while staying at the shelter. We were able to provide her with two bins and she would call to check in every two weeks for the next four months until her place was ready.

• Client K expressed that she has never been in a situation like this before, but she was pushing through it and determined to get out of it. She would come by at least 10 times a week and grab what she needed for the night and return in the morning to drop it off. After 6 months of keeping that same routine while going to the library and spending time there to read/study, she got into transitional housing. On June 14, 2023, she came down and was very excited, because her hard work and patience paid off.

• Client E signed up on March 9, 2023 and while he was waiting for his housing to go through, he was also working. Every couple of days he would come by and change his outfits and store new clothes. He finally got his keys to move in on May 18, 2023.