partneriNG with youth to achieve their dreams.

Our Mission

Avenues partners with youth experiencing homelessness to achieve their dreams.

For more than 28 years, Avenues has supported youth ages 16-24 in Hennepin County. Whether a young person needs someplace to stay for just one night, or a year and a half, Avenues support youth to find their path out of homelessness. We do that by providing a stable home, building trusting relationships, and navigating the youth’s education, career, health and wellness and housing goals.

Our Vision

A community where all youth flourish.

Our Values

Avenues work is guided by the 9 Evidence-based, Guiding Principles to Help Youth Overcome Homelessness and our core values:

Equity, Community, Respect + Dignity, Trust, Liberation, and Anti-oppression.

At Avenues, we believe:

• Homelessness does not define a person. It is just one part of a journey that we are here to help young people navigate.
• Nearly all youth experiencing homelessness have or are experiencing trauma. Therefore, mental health is at the center of all our work.
• There is no one reason why youth experience homelessness – it’s intersectional. Systems of oppression, racism and poverty are some of the root causes of homelessness. Without addressing these systems, homelessness will persist.
• Youth are resilient, inspiring, and the drivers of their own journey. With stability, trust and youth-centered supports, their dreams can become reality.

Strategic Plan 2023- 2025

Avenues for Youth has launched a new strategic plan that was created by Avenues' leadership, managers, and the Board of Directors. Knowing there remains a significant unmet need in our community, Avenues for Youth will focus on sustainable growth, while keeping social justice at the center of our work. Our strategic goals are:

Our five strategic goals are: