What is a Lodge?

The Fairweather Lodge model offers a unique, community-based approach to mental health recovery and independent living. Lodges are shared homes for 3–8 “members”, fostering an extended-family environment where individuals support one another and share responsibility for managing their household. This peer-driven model promotes teamwork, self-reliance, and personal independence.

Unlike group homes, Lodges are home settings where everyone rents their own room, shares communal spaces, look out for each other, and have a say in the house rules and how household responsibilities are shared.

Lodges help facilitate:

• Independent living, including tenant education, household upkeep, budgeting, and navigating public transportation.
• Exploring employment opportunities.
• Engaging with peers and staff for assistance in handling mental health symptoms.
• Forming a community of peers who can provide support and guidance in overcoming mental health and life obstacles.

We have 17 lodges around the Twin Cities metro area. The lodges are located in Richfield, Golden Valley, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, St. Louis Park, New Hope, Edina, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Burnsville.

Eligibility Criteria

• 18 years of age or older
• Diagnosed with a serious and persistent mental illness
• Employed or have a reliable source of income to cover rent, utilities, and fees
• Healthy enough to participate in a full range of programming and activities
• Demonstrate interest in and capacity to benefit from this peer led model and to live with others

You start with the “Transition Lodge”

Our Transition Lodge (T-Lodge) is a short term rental option where people interested in “Lodge Life” can learn more about the what it means to be part of a Lodge community and explore how the Fairweather Lodge Model could fit with the goals you have for your life. It is designed for individuals seeking greater independence while maintaining weekday staff support (Mon-Fri) and peer connection. Residents practice independent living skills, learn to manage their medications and mental health symptoms, and can participate in vocational programming to build financial stability. This transitional setting helps prepare members for long-term success and potential graduation to a Fairweather Lodge.

Moving into a “Graduate Lodge”

Graduate Lodges offer a stable, community-oriented environment for individuals ready for more independence. Members live and sometimes work together, manage their home collectively, and provide mutual support in all aspects of life. Each lodge is supported by a Mental Health Coordinator who visits weekly, facilitates group meetings (1x weekly), monitors medications, and guides members toward continued growth and recovery.