Damiano House

Clare Housing currently manages six foster care homes for persons with HIV/AIDS in the Twin Cities.



One of our south Minneapolis homes, Damiano House, has a very unique history as the very first care facility of its kind in Minnesota. In 1987, a retired Benedictine priest, Brother Louis, conceived of a place where men living with AIDS could live out the rest of their lives in a respectful and compassionate setting. Brother Louis became an expert in understanding the impact of AIDS and in providing end-of-life care for these early residents.

After Brother Louis' death, his mission was adopted by the Franciscan Brothers of Peace who named the home Samaritan House. The Brothers took care of many men (Samaritan served only men in these early years) who lived and eventually died of HIV/AIDS disease. The average length of stay for these gentlemen averaged 3-6 months and consisted mainly of end-stage and/or hospice care.

In 1999, the Franciscan Brothers of Peace ended this aspect of their AIDS ministry and began discussions with Clare Housing of St. Paul to assume the operation of the home. Clare Housing changed the name of the house to Damiano House, named after the chapel of San Damiano, in honor of the work and dedication of both St. Clare and St. Francis of Assisi.

Today, Damiano House is home to four residents (Robert, Joe, Lonnie, and Ray) with an employee base of three full-time caregivers and six additional part-time staff. Several volunteers work in the gardens and cook evening meals. Karen Shafer works as the Lead Caregiver of the home and is responsible for managing care-coordination.