Community Corner

Q&A: Lincoln Place Sets Homeless Youth on Track for Success

This spring, the Lincoln Place in Eagan is celebrating its third anniversary. At any given point in time, as many as 24 young adults live in the facility.

Editor's Note: Next month, the Lincoln Place, a homeless shelter for young adults, will celebrate its third anniversary. At any given time, the shelter serves two dozen youth, connecting them with the support they need to graduate, land jobs and find some much-needed stability. Eagan Patch Editor David Henke chatted with The Link Development and Marketing Director Julia O'Brien. The Link is a nonprofit organization that staffs Lincoln Place and provides services to the residents at the shelter.

Eagan Patch: The Lincoln Place, a support shelter for homeless youth in Dakota County, is celebrating its third anniversary this year. Briefly, how did the organization get its start in Eagan?

The Link Development and Marketing Director Julia O'Brien: Every year in January, the Dakota County Continuum of Care Committee conducts a point-in-time count of persons who are homeless on one given night. The leaders in Dakota County were greatly concerned that there were at least 50 homeless youth living in their community and decided to build Lincoln Place to provide housing and services to homeless youth. They chose a site in Eagan to build a facility to provide housing to the homeless young people in their community. They needed a partner to provide the services for the youth and The Link was chosen because of the services they  provide to homeless youth at Lindquist Apartments in Minneapolis. The facility opened in April 2010.

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Patch: On average, how many youth do you work with in the course of a year? What challenges and needs are many of them facing when they come to the shelter? How do they differ from the needs of homeless adults?

O'Brien: Lincoln Place provides housing for 24 young adults at a time with the young adults staying about 17 months. In the course of a year, Lincoln Place provides support and housing to about 30 young people. About 30 percent of the residents come to Lincoln Place because they have “aged out” of foster care. This happens when the foster youth turns 18. Some residents are living at Lincoln Place because their families have been evicted and the family members need to split up to gain access to housing.

Find out what's happening in Eaganwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Many of the residents did not have caring adults teaching them how to navigate into young adulthood. For example, many do not have basic skill sets like self-care, high school completion and belonging skills. Many have few belongings when they arrive and little, if any, financial support. We access the needs of each person upon move-in and set up weekly goal plans.  

The needs of homeless adults vs. homeless youth depends on many factors such as the reasons for homelessness and the length of time of homelessness. Long-term homeless adults have long-term needs. The youth we serve are just beginning their lives; with the community’s support, the youth we serve will have successful lives.

Patch: Homelessness is a complex issue without an easy, lasting solution. How do you measure success with the young men and women you support?

O'Brien: We measure success every day. Each resident has their individualized  goal plan and has a plan to achieve it. For example, one resident may have a goal to complete their G.E.D., while another may want to complete their college degree. Some go to certificate programs, some get jobs. The range of success depends on the goals of each person.   

Patch: What support services and opportunities do you offer for the youth in your care?

O'Brien: We provide 24/7 support. We assist each person  to reach their dream. If we can’t provide the assistance they need, we refer them to community services. We also have many classes taught by community members at Lincoln Place, ranging from knitting to resume writing.  

Patch: What initiatives or goals do you have in place for the next three years at the Lincoln Place?

O'Brien: In the next three years, we may have over 100 residents graduate from our program. Wouldn’t it be great if all were in stable housing leading successful lives? Our goal is to be here helping young adults to have secure, productive lives.

Patch: Anything else you'd like to add?

O'Brien: Thank you to all of the support Lincoln Place has received in both financial and in-kind support from the residents of Dakota County.


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