Blog series: Seeing what’s hidden — Part 1
By Tricia Wright
executive director
The invisible crisis — what youth homelessness really looks like
In the suburbs, homelessness is often invisible. It doesn’t always look like someone holding a sign at a street corner. It looks like a teen sleeping on a friend’s couch, the high-school football player living in his family’s van, or the barista at the local café holding down a job while trying to find stability.
At the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Conference, speakers shared how Minnesota defines youth homelessness as well as some statistics to shed light on the issue.
In Minnesota, youth homelessness includes anyone age 24 or younger who doesn’t have a permanent place to stay.
The definition of youth homelessness in Minnesota includes those who are doubled up or couch hopping; 70% of students identified as homeless fall into those two categories.
One in five Minneapolis Public Schools students has experienced homelessness.
18,000 Minnesota students were identified as homeless in the 2024–2025 school year — a number almost certainly undercounted.
At Onward, we see the invisible. Every day, we meet young adults who are working, studying, and showing up — while navigating the uncertainty of where they’ll sleep at night.
This reflection is part of Onward’s five-part series, “Seeing what’s hidden—youth homelessness in Minnesota,” drawing from insights shared at the 2025 Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Conference. Continue reading to explore how communities across Minnesota can see what’s hidden — and help young people find safety, stability, and belonging.
Read more from the series:
Part 2: Creating safe spaces | Part 3: Survival is a full-time job | Part 4: The power of belonging | Part 5: What you can do
