HOPE 4 Youth

HOPE 4 Youth works to provide pathways to end youth homelessness in the north metro by providing Housing, Outreach, Prevention, and Education/Employment resources to youth at risk or experiencing homelessness. HOPE 4 Youth extends a wide array of supportive services to young people ages 16-24.Since 2013, HOPE 4 Youth has operated in Anoka serving youth experiencing homelessness. At HOPE 4 Youth, youth have access to basic-need resources with the intention to stabilize their current homelessness experience. Those basic needs include hot meals, laundry and shower facilities, clothing, personal care/hygiene items, food, lockers, computers/internet access etc. Through this trust building experience with the HOPE 4 Youth staff, they begin 1:1 case management work helping to identify and connect them to community resources while at the same time providing encouragement, advocacy, and support. Among the over 70 resource partners HOPE 4 Youth works with, youth visiting the center can also utilize our in-house navigation program Host Homes. With this program "couch-hopping" youth are stabilized by providing agreement mediation, financial stipends to the host family, and joint support to youth and adult hosts willing to be a stable, dependable relationship for the youth while also providing them with a place to stay. In 2023, HOPE 4 Youth received visits from 459 youth and another 36 youth received case management services offsite.In 2016, HOPE 4 Youth opened HOPE Place, the first supportive transitional housing program for youth ages 18-24 in the north metro area. Youth can stay at HOPE Place for up to 24 months as they receive full-time case management, educational and employment centered programs, and work to gain the life skills needed on their path to self-sufficiency. HOPE 4 Youth works in partnership with over 400 volunteers who help provide support to youth and work on essential mission focused work. Volunteers come together to organize and manage the Donations Center which accepts in-kind donations of food and clothing from the community. Some volunteers prepare warm meals for youth, as well as support facility updates such as in-kind trades work, painting, and more. Volunteers are vital to assisting with our events to make them successful.Program Highlights: - HOPE 4 Youth completed 196 youth follow up surveys in 2023. - 493 total youth were served by the HOPE 4 Youth Center with 256 new intakes. - In 2023, 41 youth received $58,000 in rent support. - The Weekly Treehouse Support Group is up and running and is highly attended by HOPE 4 Youth participants, and staff provide transportation as needed for this group. - 9 of our HOPE Place residents are working. - We have completed upgrades at HOPE Place with new flooring and new community room furniture. Each unit is getting new carpet and furniture as we turn them. (5 of 12 units complete).