COH-AWH-What_Would_it_Take

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3.3. SOCIAL EXCLUSION & ISOLATION Feeling excluded, isolated, and alone was frequently raised in focus groups with youth, particularly in smaller communities or those lacking services. For many young people, these experiences began at home with feelings of neglect and abandonment. Some young people tried to avoid the violence or poverty at home, but often had nowhere to go and no funds to get there. These experiences continued on the streets for many, with youth reporting that they were “entirely alone,” “had to figure out everything alone,” and “had nobody.” When asked if they had anyone to help them figure out what to do once they became homeless, almost all youth across the country said they had no one. This isolation often intersected with bias-based discrimination and stigmatization on the basis of class, mental health status, disability, sexuality, race, and other identities. Youth recounted painful memories of being kicked out of public spaces “If you do become homeless, um, it’s a really surreal feeling, really, like intellectually, like emotionally, like you’re really unstable … once you become homeless, it doesn’t quite register, like, click right away, right? You’re tired, I want to go home, but I don’t have a home. Where am I supposed to go, right?” EDMONTON YOUTH and businesses on these bases, sometimes under threat of arrest. Youth reported there were few free spaces where they could positively engage with peers, rest, practice their hobbies, showcase their talents, or simply hang out. In the absence of spaces that were safe, free, nonjudgmental, and non-discriminatory, youth felt that mental health and addiction issues often developed or worsened. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 112
ADDRESSING SOCIAL EXCLUSION & ISOLATION: Youth’s Proposed Solutions Policy & System Change • Establish youth councils and advocacy groups at social service agencies • Provide an advocate for all youth who experience homelessness Investments • Increase funding to build recreational spaces, such as community centres, libraries, or gyms, that are free to access, without time limits, and offer programming for diverse ages, particularly in rural communities • Build “community hubs” which provide co-located services, supports, community-building programming, education, and recreation for young people • Build and fund more Friendship Centres Interventions • Offer peer mentorship programs to all youth at risk of homelessness, including those targeted to the needs of Indigenous youth • Assign a system navigator to all youth who experience homelessness • Invest in recreational programs embedded in social services that foster community and positive peer relationships • Expand and fund programming that connects Indigenous youth to their community, culture, history, and traditions WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 113
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WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? Youth Across Ca
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This research was made possible thr
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Are we making sig
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YOUTH’S PERSPECTIVES ON PREVENTIO
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Youth’s Proposed Solutions • In
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• Lack of education for youth on
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“My trauma led me down a wrong pa
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5. Align ministerial, departmental,
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INTEGRATED GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS 1. W
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INTRODUCTION Youth homelessness in
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Systems change is difficult work. T
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Finally, youth homelessness prevent
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CONSULTATION PROCESS National consu
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Prior to beginning the study, resea
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62 % Self-identified as currently e
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WHAT IS YOUTH HOMELESSNESS PREVENTI
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YOUTH’S PERSPECTIVES ON PREVENTIO
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WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 1. STRUCTURAL P
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“I think that affordable housing
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LOW SOCIAL ASSISTANCE RATES Many yo
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LOW WAGES & TIGHT JOB MARKETS In th
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MOVING FORWARD To ensure better out
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1.2 LACK OF HOUSING While youth vie
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Public Housing Challenges The lack
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MOVING FORWARD The solutions propos
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“Well, for me, like, because of r
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MOVING FORWARD Indigenous youth vie
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“I have friends that are in foste
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MOVING FORWARD While youth describe
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1.5 HARMFUL SOCIETAL BELIEFS & VALU
Page 61 and 62: “A lot of systems are still set u
Page 63 and 64: ADDRESSING ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERI
Page 65 and 66: WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 2. SYSTEMS PREV
Page 67 and 68: 2.1 EDUCATION For young people who
Page 69 and 70: 2. Professional Training For the mo
Page 71 and 72: Investments • Provide significant
Page 73 and 74: “Educating teachers, principals,
Page 75 and 76: Experiences in Foster Care Many you
Page 77 and 78: Difficult Transitions from Care Tra
Page 79 and 80: “My parents were good enough at l
Page 81 and 82: 2.3 HEALTHCARE & ADDICTIONS For you
Page 83 and 84: An additional issue raised by many
Page 85 and 86: MOVING FORWARD Without a Home: The
Page 87 and 88: 2.4 YOUTH HOMELESSNESS SECTOR In fo
Page 89 and 90: “Requirements to access help some
Page 91 and 92: “Yeah, when I first moved in [to
Page 93 and 94: PREVENTING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN TH
Page 95 and 96: While the recommendations below can
Page 97 and 98: 2.5 CRIMINAL JUSTICE A common conce
Page 99 and 100: PREVENTING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN TH
Page 101 and 102: MOVING FORWARD Canadian research sh
Page 103 and 104: WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 3. PREVENTING I
Page 105 and 106: ADDRESSING FAMILY CONFLICT, ABUSE,
Page 107 and 108: “This is real. We did not choose
Page 109 and 110: Lack of services and supports also
Page 111: MOVING FORWARD Youth across the cou
Page 115 and 116: “I’m just trying to say that, i
Page 117 and 118: ADDRESSING VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNIT
Page 119 and 120: YOUTH’S MESSAGES TO ALL LEVELS OF
Page 121 and 122: We need to dramatically shift our a
Page 123 and 124: RECOMMENDATIONS 1 GOVERNMENT OF CAN
Page 125 and 126: 5. Align ministerial, departmental,
Page 127 and 128: 2. Embed youth homelessness prevent
Page 129 and 130: INTEGRATED GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS 1. W
Page 131 and 132: 3. Require that all school boards a
Page 133 and 134: 5. Offer comprehensive, youth-focus
Page 135 and 136: 8. Systematically investigate and e
Page 137 and 138: Provincial/Territorial Ministries R
Page 139 and 140: 6. Seek to provide highly integrate
Page 141 and 142: 3. Foster meaningful youth engageme
Page 143 and 144: Gaetz, S., O’Grady, B., Kidd, S.,
Page 145: Statistics Canada. (2011). National
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COH-AWH-What_Would_it_Take

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