A New Home for Women in Crisis Is Coming to Eagan

TLDR

• A nonprofit called Hope International Foundation is opening "House of Hope"

• It's a residential program for women escaping abuse, trauma, or housing trouble — up to 11 beds.

• The building sits in an industrial zone, so the city used a special five-year permit to allow it.

• The planning commission approved it 6-0 on July 28. No neighbors spoke against it.

This one had a lot of heart. At Eagan's July 28 planning meeting, a nonprofit got the go-ahead to open a safe home for women who are having a really hard time. Here's what it's all about.

What House of Hope Will Be

Hope International Foundation wants to turn a building at 1708 Meadow View Road into a supportive home for women. It's for women dealing with domestic violence, abuse, trauma, or losing their housing.

Think of it as a stepping stone, not an emergency shelter and not a treatment center. Women can stay short-term, get stable, and work toward getting back on their feet. The plan shows six units with 11 beds total, plus shared kitchens, laundry, and common areas.

Oksana Pirso spoke for the group since the founder, Ella Selikov, couldn't make it. She said a big focus is helping immigrant and refugee women who face language barriers and don't know where to turn. The services would be non-clinical — basics like housing, food, clothing, plus help with skills, transportation, and referrals.

The Zoning Workaround

Here's the interesting part. The building is a former single-family house sitting in an industrial zone (called I-1). Back in 2023, Eagan wrote rules allowing shelters and residential programs — but not in industrial zones. Read more in the Eagan zoning code.

So how did this get approved? The city used an "interim use permit." That's a tool that lets an unusual use happen for a set time — in this case, five years. The owner asked for five years because they're putting real money into meeting building and fire codes.

The city didn't want to permanently rezone one house in the middle of an industrial area. This permit lets the program run, and the group can ask to extend it later. It's the same approach the city uses for a church that sits in a business park.

Everyone Was On Board

The applicants and their architect, Rolf Lokensgard, talked about the care they put into the building. They moved a few walls, added bathrooms and laundry, and want to fix up the outside next.

No one from the public spoke against it. One commissioner even asked why it wasn't a permanent permit, because the project looked so solid. The commission passed it 6-0. The chair called it a "heart cause" and thanked them for bringing it forward.

The Bottom Line

House of Hope is now recommended for approval, and it heads to the Eagan City Council on Monday, August 3, for the final say. If you care about local housing and support services, this is a good one to watch. Want to see how Eagan keeps growing and changing? Check our Eagan development roundup and the South Metro Scoop homepage for more local news.