Jennifer Yandrasits recently celebrated her 18th birthday. Her Burnsville foster family gave her three big baskets: one with cleaning supplies, one with nonperishable food and one with pots, pans and silverware.
She will take them with her this week when she moves into her studio apartment at Lincoln Place, a new building in Eagan that will help youth in danger of homelessness make the transition to adulthood.
Lincoln Place, believed to be the first housing complex of its kind in the suburban Twin Cities, opens April 1.
"I'm just really excited about it," said Yandrasits, who learned of Lincoln Place from a social worker. "I need to learn how to be independent. I like this place because it sounds like there's going to be staff there 24/7, but at the same time I have my privacy and I can kind of do my own thing."
Dakota County and its Community Development Agency (CDA) built the $4.7 million, three-story building. It has 24 efficiency apartments for young adults ages 18 to 24 and 3,000 square feet of common space.
The Link, a nonprofit that runs a similar facility in Minneapolis, will staff Lincoln Place around the clock, offering help with everything from cooking and financial planning to job skills and access to social services.
A caretaker lives on site. Each resident will be matched with a case worker who helps residents set and achieve goals.
"This will be a place where they get not only affordable housing, but they'll also receive the kinds of support that they need to launch themselves more independently in the community," said Patrick Coyne, the county's director of social services.