Edina considers proposal to house homeless youth

A St. Paul-based religious organization is proposing to turn a former bank building in Edina into housing for homeless youth.

Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative director Lee Blons tells KSTP-TV that the group wants to buy a vacant TCF Bank and turn it into apartments for homeless people ages 18-19 in Twin Cities suburbs.

The Edina City Council is set to vote on the proposal in September.

City Manager Scott Neal says the city is considering some residents' concerns that the project could increase local crime. He says officials are looking into whether the collaborative's other facilities have caused crime upticks.

Blons says the project would have 39 studio apartments and would offer on-site counseling. She says there are about 250-330 young homeless people in the suburbs.

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