COH-AWH-What_Would_it_Take

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A New Direction emphasized that these classifications exist along a continuum. In order to effectively prevent homelessness, all three forms of prevention must occur simultaneously. The Homelessness Prevention Framework also includes a typology that outlines five areas in which legislation, policies, interventions, and practices can contribute to the prevention of homelessness in Canada. 1. STRUCTURAL PREVENTION 2. SYSTEMS PREVENTION 3. EARLY INTERVENTION 4. EVICTION PREVENTION 5. HOUSING STABILITY PRIMARY SECONDARY TERTIARY ENDING HOMELESSNESS While adults and youth who are homeless experience some of the same challenges, the causes and experiences of homelessness for youth are unique, calling for a distinct approach to youth homelessness prevention. In this report, young people outline how homelessness prevention can best meet the needs of young people. WHAT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION IS NOT This definition is intended to provide clarity and precision about what the prevention of youth homelessness is, but also what it is not. We must be clear - the prevention of youth homelessness must entail keeping a young person housed. While emergency services often provide a range of programs and supports that build resilience, skills, and reduce the most negative impacts of homelessness (e.g., starvation, exposure to extreme weather), these interventions cannot be described as homelessness prevention because they do not directly (or even indirectly) prevent the occurrence or reoccurrence of homelessness. Likewise, the term prevention is also often used to describe interventions for young people who are currently experiencing homelessness that may, in the long run, contribute to housing stability, such as life skills, addictions supports, mental health supports, or employment and education services. While such interventions are clearly important, they cannot be considered homelessness prevention unless they are provided in a context wherein young people have immediate access to housing. Any services and supports that are provided to people who are homeless in an emergency context – no matter how helpful and beneficial – cannot be considered to be youth homeliness prevention if the young person remains in an ongoing state of homelessness with no immediate prospect of exiting. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 32
YOUTH’S PERSPECTIVES ON PREVENTION WHERE SHOULD WE FOCUS OUR PREVENTION EFFORTS? Consultations with youth across the country reveal that there are multiple, intersecting reasons why a young person becomes homeless. Rather than having a single cause, many youth described their homelessness as the cumulative impact of a number of factors. Most importantly, young people were clear that efforts to prevent homelessness must occur simultaneously in many parts of society, such as schools, the housing system, and within families. Youth’s perspectives on homelessness prevention can be organized using a social-ecological model that positions youth homelessness as the outcome of a complex and intricate interplay between three domains: structural factors, systems failures, and individual and relational factors (Gaetz et al., 2013; Gaetz, 2014). Within each of these domains, youth identified key areas where prevention efforts are needed. This report uses this model to organize youth’s perspectives on homelessness prevention: 1. STRUCTURAL PREVENTION • Poverty • Lack of Housing • Colonization • Inequity & Discrimination • Harmful Societal Beliefs & Values • Adverse Childhood Experiences STRUCTURAL FACTORS INDIVIDUAL & RELATIONAL FACTORS 2. SYSTEMS PREVENTION • Education • Child Welfare • Healthcare & Addictions • Youth homelessness sector • Criminal Justice SYSTEM FAILURES CAUSES OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS 3. PREVENTING INDIVIDUAL & RELATIONAL CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS • Family Conflict, Abuse, & Neglect • Personal & Family Crises • Social Exclusion & Isolation • Violence in the Community WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 33
Page 1 and 2: WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? Youth Across Ca
Page 3 and 4: This research was made possible thr
Page 5 and 6: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Are we making sig
Page 7 and 8: YOUTH’S PERSPECTIVES ON PREVENTIO
Page 9 and 10: Youth’s Proposed Solutions • In
Page 11 and 12: • Lack of education for youth on
Page 13 and 14: “My trauma led me down a wrong pa
Page 15 and 16: 5. Align ministerial, departmental,
Page 17 and 18: INTEGRATED GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS 1. W
Page 19 and 20: INTRODUCTION Youth homelessness in
Page 21 and 22: Systems change is difficult work. T
Page 23 and 24: Finally, youth homelessness prevent
Page 25 and 26: CONSULTATION PROCESS National consu
Page 27 and 28: Prior to beginning the study, resea
Page 29 and 30: 62 % Self-identified as currently e
Page 31: WHAT IS YOUTH HOMELESSNESS PREVENTI
Page 35 and 36: WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 1. STRUCTURAL P
Page 37 and 38: “I think that affordable housing
Page 39 and 40: LOW SOCIAL ASSISTANCE RATES Many yo
Page 41 and 42: LOW WAGES & TIGHT JOB MARKETS In th
Page 43 and 44: MOVING FORWARD To ensure better out
Page 45 and 46: 1.2 LACK OF HOUSING While youth vie
Page 47 and 48: Public Housing Challenges The lack
Page 49 and 50: MOVING FORWARD The solutions propos
Page 51 and 52: “Well, for me, like, because of r
Page 53 and 54: MOVING FORWARD Indigenous youth vie
Page 55 and 56: “I have friends that are in foste
Page 57 and 58: MOVING FORWARD While youth describe
Page 59 and 60: 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
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MOVING FORWARD Without a Home: The
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2.4 YOUTH HOMELESSNESS SECTOR In fo
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“Requirements to access help some
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“Yeah, when I first moved in [to
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PREVENTING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN TH
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While the recommendations below can
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2.5 CRIMINAL JUSTICE A common conce
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PREVENTING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN TH
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MOVING FORWARD Canadian research sh
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WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 3. PREVENTING I
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ADDRESSING FAMILY CONFLICT, ABUSE,
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“This is real. We did not choose
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Lack of services and supports also
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MOVING FORWARD Youth across the cou
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ADDRESSING SOCIAL EXCLUSION & ISOLA
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“I’m just trying to say that, i
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ADDRESSING VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNIT
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YOUTH’S MESSAGES TO ALL LEVELS OF
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We need to dramatically shift our a
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RECOMMENDATIONS 1 GOVERNMENT OF CAN
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5. Align ministerial, departmental,
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2. Embed youth homelessness prevent
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INTEGRATED GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS 1. W
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3. Require that all school boards a
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5. Offer comprehensive, youth-focus
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8. Systematically investigate and e
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Provincial/Territorial Ministries R
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6. Seek to provide highly integrate
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3. Foster meaningful youth engageme
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Gaetz, S., O’Grady, B., Kidd, S.,
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Statistics Canada. (2011). National
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COH-AWH-What_Would_it_Take

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