Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
In 2020, The Link served 2097 youth and young families experiencing homelessness, sex trafficking, and/or who were involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare systems. 229 youth were provided with supportive housing, 396 truant youth were offered case management services through School Matters, 25 probation-involved girls successfully graduated the POWER program, 42 sexually exploited youth were provided with emergency shelter, housing and intensive supportive services.
Through our newly created Northside Homeless Prevention Program, 41 households in North Minneapolis were provided with direct financial assistance to avoid homelessness. We also assembled a new Housing Coordinator team to create a more efficient housing search process and ensure that safe and affordable housing is available to youth with the highest barriers. The Housing Coordinators successfully housed 22 youth between October 1st and December 31st 2020.
In 2020, The Link worked to respond to the increasing need for our services during the pandemic. Because COVID-19 has simultaneously left more people in precarious positions while also reducing shelter capacity for social distancing, we worked quickly to open Dignity House, a new emergency shelter for minors experiencing homelessness, are considered runaways, or are falling through the cracks for the emergency shelter system. From August to December 2020 Dignity House provided emergency shelter to 22 minor youth.
Current Goals
In 2021, The Link aims to serve around 2,000 youth and young families, providing crisis intervention, emergency shelter, housing, and supportive services to youth and young families experiencing homelessness, sex trafficking, and/or are involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare systems. Across all our programs, The Link aims to help youth meet their basic needs for food, shelter and education, provide positive and sustained relationships with case managers and program staff, provide trauma-informed care and positive youth development, and help youth build important life skills that empower them with the tools they need to set and achieve their goals.
The Link is committed to providing quality case management, supportive housing, and other individualized services that make a quantitative and qualitative difference in the lives of young people. To that end, we measure multiple outcomes in each program. Outcome targets include: 75% of youth will access secure housing when they exit a Supportive Housing program, 70% of youth in Supportive Housing will maintain or increase their incomes enough to meet basic needs, 80% of youth in Safe Harbor will decrease harmful behaviors (criminal activity, sexual exploitation, drug use, etc.), and 70% of youth in POWER will have no new offenses within 12 months of program start date, and much more.
Community or Constituency Served
Around 2000 youth and young families ages 10-24 who are experiencing homelessness, sex trafficking, and/or are involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare systems.
Geographic Area Served
7 County Twin Cities Metro
