Minnesota Nonprofit Settled Wins Christianity Today Compassion Award for Tiny Homes on Church Land
Settled, a Minnesota nonprofit, received a 2026 Christianity Today Compassion Award for building permanent micro-home communities on church properties for people experiencing long-term homelessness. The organization partners with congregations to transform unused land into settlements of 150-square-foot homes, each built by volunteers for about $35,000. A new 12-home settlement at the Church of the Open Door in Maple Grove is set to open in summer 2027.
Settled, a Minnesota-based nonprofit, has won a 2026 Christianity Today Compassion Award for its work placing permanent tiny-home communities on church land.
The award was announced in the November/December 2026 issue of Christianity Today, which highlighted several organizations serving vulnerable populations across the country.
Settled founder Gabrielle Clowdus developed what she calls a "Lego Manual," a standardized construction process that allows volunteer teams to build 150-square-foot homes for roughly $35,000 each. The homes sit on land donated by partner churches, giving residents a permanent address and a built-in community.
The organization's first completed project is the Sacred Settlement Mosaic in St. Paul, located next to the Mosaic Christian Community church. Residents there live alongside "intentional neighbors," volunteers who move into the community to build long-term friendships with formerly homeless individuals.
Settled has also worked to change state law. In 2023, the organization successfully lobbied for Minnesota legislation allowing micro-units to be built on religious land, clearing a major zoning hurdle that had blocked similar projects elsewhere.
A second settlement is now under development at the Church of the Open Door in Maple Grove. That project, which will include 12 homes, is expected to open in summer 2027.
Christianity Today's Compassion Awards also recognized the Orange County Rescue Mission in California, PAWKids in Georgia, Cradle of Hope in Pennsylvania, and PCEA Chogoria Hospital in Kenya.
