Young adults with nowhere to go get a place to call home

Young adults who outgrow the foster care system or find themselves couch hopping with nowhere to live may find a new home in Eagan.

The Dakota County Community Development Agency, with Dakota County and the Minneapolis nonprofit the Link, will break ground this spring on an apartment building for homeless adults between 18 and 24.

The $4.71 million building, slated to open in spring 2010 at Cedar Grove Parkway and Gold Trail, will include 24 efficiency apartments, a caretaker's apartment and on-site offices for social services staff from the Link. Residents will meet regularly with the case managers for guidance as they set life goals, receive workforce training and participate in support groups.

Most of the funding for the construction comes from state bonds and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency.

There are similar "supportive housing" options for young adults in Minneapolis and St. Paul, but this is the first large-scale project in the suburbs.

"It's very exciting," said Tina Isaac, deputy director of adult services for Dakota County. "It is unique and it does meet an identified need for us."

Homelessness among young people is hard to see and track, especially in the suburbs, but it does exist.

According to a statewide 2006 study by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, the number of homeless people age 11 to 21 had increased since 2003. About half of the young people surveyed reported struggles with mental health. Half had been physically or sexually mistreated and about one-third had been neglected by their parents.

"One of the big themes is that these kids don't leave happy homes," said Tim Reneau-Major of the Link.

Some grow too old for the foster care system or other public assistance programs. Others have left or been forced out of homes because of abuse or psychological problems.

The homeless young adults in the Wilder survey reported that the biggest barriers to finding secure housing were the lack of a job and housing they could afford. They also said it was difficult to get an apartment because of their age, lack of rental history and credit problems, and the cost of application fees.

The county social service staff will help the CDA identify and screen potential residents, who will pay rent on a sliding scale based on 30 percent of their income. There will be a minimum rent, but that has not yet been set.

Residents also will get referrals to social service agencies or health care providers. And they will participate in community-building activities, such as volunteering.

"It's not enough to just get kids into housing," Reneau-Majors said. "You have to give kids the skills to stay in the housing."

Mark Ulfers, executive director of the CDA, said there won't be a set length of time that young adults will be allowed to live in the Eagan building. Cases will be evaluated individually, based on how prepared the residents are to move out on their own, likely in one to three years, he said.

The live-in caretaker and 24-hour front desk attendant will provide an extra level of supervision and safety for the residents, and the building will be alcohol free, even for residents of legal drinking age.

"We do have quite a bit of oversight," Ulfers said. "We want this to be done well and be very responsible."