Every night in Minnesota, thousands of young people face homelessness without a parent or guardian by their side. Wilder Research’s 2023 Minnesota Homeless Study estimates that more than 6,000 unaccompanied youth are homeless on any given night statewide, and roughly 13,300 Minnesota youth experience homelessness on their own over the course of a year. If you or someone you care about is a young person facing youth homelessness in the Twin Cities, real help exists, and it is closer than you might think.
Where to Turn First
For youth ages 16 to 24, YouthLink is often the best starting point in Minneapolis. Their drop-in center at 41 North 12th Street offers hot meals, showers, laundry, mail service, and case managers who can connect you to shelter, ID replacement, and school or job support the same day. To check real-time shelter bed availability across Hennepin County, call the Hennepin County Youth Shelter Hotline at 612-204-8200 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.).
Emergency Shelter Programs for Young People
- Avenues for Youth (Minneapolis): In July 2026, Avenues opened a new 30,000-square-foot shelter and transitional housing site in north Minneapolis, expanding capacity to serve up to 500 youth ages 16-21 a year, each with a private bedroom. Call 612-522-1690.
- Hope Street Youth Shelter (Catholic Charities Twin Cities): The largest youth shelter in Minnesota, serving ages 18-24 with trauma-informed case management, mental health counseling, and life-skills training. Call 612-204-8211.
- Lutheran Social Service Safe House (St. Paul): Emergency shelter for youth ages 16-20. Call 651-444-5757, or text 612-246-7881 to ask about open beds (monitored weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
- The Link: Provides supportive and transitional housing across Hennepin County for youth exiting homelessness, including scattered-site apartments. Learn more through the Minnesota resource directory.
National Support, Any Time of Day
If you need to talk to someone right now, or you are a parent or friend unsure how to help a young person who has run away or been pushed out of their home, the National Runaway Safeline is available 24/7 at 1-800-786-2929, with live chat and text options for youth who are not ready to call.
Why So Many Young People End Up Without a Home
Family conflict, being forced out after coming out as LGBTQ+, aging out of foster care, and simple economic hardship are among the most common paths into youth homelessness. Wilder Research found that children and youth age 24 and under make up 4 out of every 10 people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota, and more than a third of homeless youth surveyed were themselves parents. The encouraging news is that youth-specific homelessness declined 17 percent between 2018 and 2023, a sign that programs like the ones above are making a measurable difference.
Beyond Shelter: Building Toward Independence
Getting off the street is the first step, not the last one. Youth shelters and drop-in centers typically help with far more than a bed for the night, including replacing lost identification, enrolling in school or a GED program, and applying for jobs. Hues Hope’s Housing Resources page lists additional shelter and transitional housing options, our Education Resources page can help with finishing a diploma, and our Employment Resources page connects young people to their first job or next opportunity.
You Are Not Alone
No young person should have to face homelessness by themselves, and across the Twin Cities, dedicated shelters, drop-in centers, and hotlines exist specifically to make sure none of them have to. Whether the first step is walking into YouthLink’s drop-in center, calling the Hennepin County Youth Shelter Hotline, or texting the National Runaway Safeline, help is real, it is close by, and it is ready whenever you are.