YouthLink MN

YouthLink operates a daytime drop-in center in downtown Minneapolis and provides housing support services for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. Open for more than 45 years, the organization serves approximately 1,700 unduplicated youth (ages 16-24) per year who are disconnected from families and other social support; have endured traumatic and adverse childhood experiences; have long histories of street life, exploitation and racism; and are disproportionately represented by BIPOC youth (90% of youth served).
At YouthLink’s Drop-In Center, youth can access basic needs including food, clothing, respite, showers, laundry, health care, technology and wraparound support services. Our Youth Opportunity Center is a unique collaborative model, bringing together a variety of organizations and agencies that provide resources young people experiencing homelessness may need – all in one location. As YouthLink helps youth secure housing, the Career Pathways Center provides education and employment readiness services to help youth develop long-term skills for self-reliance and upward mobility. YouthLink also provides case management and services to youth in 100 supportive housing units and various scattered site housing units across the metro.
YouthLink was founded in 1974 as the Minneapolis Youth Diversion Program, incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1978 and formally changed its name to YouthLink in 2001.