Essentia Health today announced a $500,000 commitment to support Union Gospel Mission’s new Mission Engagement Center, which will support new affordable housing and stronger social services in downtown Duluth. By relocating directly across from the St. Louis County Government Services Center, Union Gospel Mission is aiming to create a more coordinated response to homelessness and poverty in the Northland.
“At Essentia, we see every day how housing, food access and addiction support impact our patients’ health,” said Phil Luitjens, senior vice president and administrator of Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center. “The Mission Engagement Center represents a thoughtful, coordinated approach to meeting people where they are and helping them move from crisis toward stability. By partnering with our neighbors, we can build a downtown that is safer, stronger, and provides accessible resources to help people thrive.”
The future Mission Engagement Center will include:
· Expanded meal services and coordinated community food access
· An integrated food shelf
· Showers, laundry, hygiene support, and clothing resources
· On-site healthcare, behavioral health, and addiction support services
· Housing navigation and coordinated outreach services designed for safety and dignity
· Classrooms and meeting spaces for recovery support, life skills, employment readiness, and community programming
· 24/7 drop-in space to ensure low-barrier emergency support
The development will also include 40 units of permanent supportive housing located directly above the Engagement Center, creating a direct pathway from crisis stabilization to long-term housing.
“One of the hardest things we see is people having to navigate crisis while also trying to find food, shelter, healthcare, and support from different locations across the community,” said Katie Hagglund, executive director of Union Gospel Mission. “The Mission Engagement Center is designed to remove those barriers by bringing critical services together under one roof. Essentia Health recognizes that health and housing are deeply connected, and their investment will have a lasting impact on the lives of the people we serve. We are incredibly thankful for their partnership.”
Essentia Health’s $500,000 contribution builds on a longstanding partnership with Union Gospel Mission and a history of support for housing initiatives in Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood. In the last several years, Essentia Health supported the construction of over 70 units of affordable housing at Brewery Creek and Brewery Creek Terrance and provided down payment assistance for 11 families through the Hillside Homeownership program in partnership with One Roof Housing.
This announcement comes after Union Gospel Mission received $8.8 million in funding through the most recent state bonding bill. Construction on the Mission Engagement Center and Mission Heights Housing is anticipated to begin in spring 2027, pending final financing approvals, and anticipated to open in 2028.
