Our History

In late 2012, a series of news articles raised awareness of young people in Anoka County who were in need of basic resources. The stories were published during the coldest days of winter and sparked an immediate reaction from the public. Partnerships were formed, donations were collected and plans were made for HOPE 4 Youth, an organization to support at-risk young people.

In early 2013, doors opened to the HOPE 4 Youth Drop-In Center. In the early days, the center’s work focused mainly on basic needs support for youth experiencing homelessness in the north metro suburbs of the Twin Cities.

In late 2016, HOPE 4 Youth expanded work on long-term solutions to ending youth homelessness with the opening of HOPE Place, a transitional housing facility for 18- to 24-year-olds in need of a place to stay while rebuilding their lives.

Since then, HOPE 4 Youth’s outreach has expanded into nearby communities. Staff now works with people who have opened their homes to someone under 25 who is at risk for homelessness. The HOPE Homes program turns these couch-hopping situations into more structured agreements that are beneficial to the hosts and the young people who are living with them.

Funding for our programs and services comes from a variety of sources listed in our annual reports.