Minnesota organization gets $2 million HUD grant to address youth homelessness

On Thursday in Bemidji, officials with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $51.1 million in grant money to 38 organizations in 26 states and two territories to help end youth homelessness.

In Minnesota, the Northwest Minnesota Foundation was awarded a $2 million Youth Homelessness System Improvement Grant (YHSI). The organization says the aid is specifically aimed at Indigenous youth.

HUD says that these grants are meant to improve identifying youth experiencing homelessness and help them find available services.

“HUD and our partners have been listening to youth across the country who are homeless or struggle with housing insecurity, said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary McFadden. “One thing that emerged is frustration and confusion young people experience when navigating the many agencies, sectors, and services available to support them. This funding will allow communities to create a more seamless and coordinated system of care and enable better identification of youth and make services easier to navigate.”

In neighboring Wisconsin, the Urban Triage was also granted $2 million. Grants varied in size from $200,000 to $2 million.