FAQs

We break down barriers and build up communities through programs and services in Housing & Supportive Services, Youth Development, Employment & Economic Development and Health & Wellness.

Our programs and services help women and girls access opportunities to improve their quality of life and achieve their potential.

The Twin Cities and Minnesota are areas characterized by racial disparities: 

• In 2019, Minnesota ranked 50th for racial disparities in high school graduation rates. **
• Black people have an infant mortality rate of 9.0 per 1,000 live births compared to a rate of 3.8 for whites. *
• The incarceration rate of Black people in the Twin Cities was eleven times that of whites in 2019. **
• I-94 was built through the Rondo neighborhood in the 1950s-60s. 1 in 8 Black families lost their homes and many Black-owned businesses never reopened. ***
• The median Black family in the Twin Cities area earns $38,178 a year which is less than half of the median white family income of $84,459 a year. **
• 75% of white families in the Twin Cities own homes, but only 25% of Black families do, a disparity fueled by racial covenants. **
• In Ramsey County, nearly half of the people experiencing homelessness at any given time are children and youth. The number of homeless people in Ramsey County is up 8% from 2015, for a total of 1,927. ****

Our programs advance racial equity by helping our program participants overcome barriers to access and achieve success in areas characterized by significant racial disparities: housing, income and employment, and academic achievement.  We also promote racial justice, gender equity and cultural understanding through advocacy, education and community events in our monthly Equity & Justice Conversation Series.

Sources:
* Report on Minority-Owned Firms (fedsmallbusiness.org)

** African Americans are still concentrated in neighborhoods with extreme poverty and still lack full access to decent housing | Economic Policy Institute (epi.org)

*** Black Homebuyers More Likely to Be Denied Mortgages | LendingTree

**** Homelessness in Minnesota: Detailed Findings from the 2018 Minnesota Homeless Study I The Amherst H Wilder Foundation

No. We provide services to everyone who needs them, regardless of age or gender.

No. We work with everyone regardless of race, religion, age or gender. The name goes back 100 years, when we were founded by Christian women who were concerned about the living conditions and well-being of the young women of St. Paul. Although today we serve a much broader population (women, children and families) we’ve kept the name because it’s part of our heritage and how we’re known in the community.

We are linked to other YWCAs across the country and around the world by a shared mission, but do not share programs or administrative functions. Each YWCA throughout the United States has a unique program focus and history.

No. We have similar names but we are separate entities. We have different boards, different missions, different programs and different histories.

Our office is located at the corner of Selby and Western near the Cathedral of St. Paul. This location houses programming and the offices for our Administrative, Employment & Economic
Development, Housing & Supportive Services and Youth Development programs as well as the Health & Fitness Center. We also own and operate five housing sites in St. Paul and serve families living in a variety of privately-owned rental properties as a part of our Housing & Supportive Services.

Free three-hour parking is available to visitors and HFC members.

No. Although we are linked by our mission, programs and activities are developed to meet specific local needs.

A healthy mind and body is a vital part of self-care and helps people to achieve a better quality of life.