COH-AWH-What_Would_it_Take

Public Housing Challenges
The lack of available public housing, and youth housing specifically, was seen as a major driver
of homelessness for youth and their families. Youth who grew up in poverty discussed the
challenges their parents or caregivers faced in accessing public housing, and some indicated
there was no public housing available in their communities.
“I didn’t fit the
certain criteria—
they were like, ‘Well,
you’re in a house,’
and I was like, ‘Okay,
well I’m in a house
but I don’t eat every
day, I don’t go to
school, I don’t... and
they’re were like,
‘Well, we can’t do
anything about it.’”
YELLOWKNIFE YOUTH
Youth also explained that they frequently didn’t
qualify for public housing because they did not
meet particular criteria, including because they were
not assessed to be sufficiently “at risk” or “in need.”
Youth recounted stories of being turned away from public or
youth housing because they were couch-surfing or had a roof over
their head, even if they were experiencing neglect, violence, had
difficulty getting to school, or didn’t have enough to eat.
Youth particularly emphasized that access to public housing often
requires youth to be homeless for a significant length of time, in
effect condemning youth to experiences of hardship, violence,
and trauma before being able to access housing. Even when youth
were able to obtain rental housing, it was often of poor quality and
precarious. Youth reported histories of evictions due to roommates
failing to pay rent, rent increases, or because they lacked the life
skills or supports to maintain the unit. These histories of evictions
further blocked youth from obtaining housing in the future.
“’Oh, you’re couch-surfing?
Oh, that means you have a
safe place to go tonight.’ NO,
THAT DOESN’T. When I went to
[agency], they said I haven’t been
homeless long enough.”
CALGARY YOUTH
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 47