Addressing Youth Homelessness in Canada: A Call to Action for Canadians
Andrea Laturski
Addressing youth homelessness requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses both short-term interventions and long-term solutions. Immediate solutions include increasing access to emergency shelters and transitional housing, providing mental health and addiction support services, and implementing targeted outreach programs to connect homeless youth with essential resources. An effective program known as Housing First adopts a recovery-focused strategy to address homelessness (Homeless Hub, 2021). This approach prioritizes promptly transitioning individuals without housing into stable and permanent accommodation, coupled with tailored, wraparound support services such as mental health counseling and job training (Homeless Hub, 2021). Gaetz et al’s. (2013, p. 2), published document, Housing First in Canada: Supporting Communities to End Homelessness states, “Housing is not contingent upon readiness, or on ‘compliance’ (for instance, sobriety). Rather, it is a rights-based intervention rooted in the philosophy that all people deserve housing, and that adequate housing is a precondition for recovery”. The outcomes of the application of Housing First in Calgary are impressive. For instance, by 2012, the Calgary Homeless Foundation employing the Housing First approach had housed 4,096 individuals over a span of four years, leading to an 11.4% decrease in the homeless population in Calgary between 2008 and 2012 (Homeless Hub, 2013).
Long-term solutions involve addressing the root causes of youth homelessness, such as poverty, and family conflict. Additionally, programs focusing on family mediation and reunification have shown promise in preventing youth homelessness by addressing underlying family conflicts. In Canada, the prevailing approach to assisting street youth reflects a stark reality: many of these young people have fled abusive or otherwise troubled family environments (Winland et al., 2011). Consequently, services aimed at street youth primarily focus on providing them with a safe alternative to their previous living situations (Winland et al., 2011). However, this approach often neglects the potential for family involvement in helping these youth transition to independence (Winland et al., 2011). In Toronto, Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth has been at the forefront of developing creative solutions to youth homelessness (Winland et al., 2011). One of their most innovative programs, the Family Reconnect program, prioritizes re-establishing connections with families and communities for homeless or at-risk youth (Winland et al., 2011). Through assessments, counseling, and access to necessary services, young people can strengthen relationships, develop life skills, and ideally return home or integrate into the community with family support (Winland et al., 2011).
It is essential for Canadians to understand that youth homelessness is not merely a societal problem, but a moral obligation that significantly affects the welfare and future prospects of young individuals nationwide. Through advocating for policy reforms, volunteering at nearby shelters, and supporting organizations committed to eradicating youth homelessness, Canadians can actively participate in shaping a society where every young person has access to a secure and sustainable living environment.
References
Gaetz, S., Scott, F., & Gulliver T. (2013). Housing First in Canada: Supporting communities to end homelessness. Canadian Homelessness Research Network Press. https://www.homelesshub.ca//sites/default/files/HousingFirstInCanada.pdf
Homeless Hub. (2013). Calgary Alberta: Calgary homeless foundation. Canadian Homelessness Research Network Press. https://www.homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/attachments/Calgary_HFCaseStudyFinal.pdf