MINNEAPOLIS — The shelter officially opened Wednesday and houses 18- to 24-year-olds. Staff says being on site gives them the opportunity to provide support and guidance to those in need.
Each year, more than 4 million youth and young adults experience homelessness.
And here in Minnesota, "more than 5,000 youth experience homelessness, or without a safe space to sleep and many are in our age demographic here at Hope Street," said Molly McInerny, senior program director.
For several years, Hope Street has been part of St. Joseph's facility, where residents stayed in dormitory style quarters, with sometimes up to six roommates.
"The building that it was in was sold to Hennepin Schools, so we needed to find a new location," she said.
That's when they stumbled upon the location on Cheatham Avenue — the site of a former assisted living facility.
"Wednesday, we moved the clients. They had all of their stuff packed at St. Joes, so it was a quick move," she said.
Hope Shelter is a 30-day temporary stay shelter that provides food and shelter — with up to 30 units for young people to have their own space.
"The rooms aren't gendered, there aren't a certain amount of males or females, there's not a certain amount we need for a certain gender, so each individual room can really be for anyone, or how they identify," she said.
According to a spokesperson with Catholic Charities, the Hope Street shelter project received $5 million through efforts by the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, American Rescue Plan Funds, along with $1 million in private funding.
In the end, staff say they're providing support services to those most in need.
"We have a mental health therapist that comes on site once a week, and works directly with youth, and also just hangs out in the space so youth can be comfortable with her and get to know her," she said.
Staff says the ultimate goal is to provide resources to help residents get back on their feet.
For more information on Hope Street, visit the website here.
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