The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness - Publications

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Open Access
Child Welfare and Youth Homelessness in Canada: A Proposal for Action
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Nichols, Naomi; Schwan, Kaitlin; Gaetz, Stephen; Redman, Melanie; French, David; Kidd, Sean; O'Grady, Bill
With the release of Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey (2016), we now have robust national data on youth homelessness for the first time in Canada. The research findings on the relationship between youth homelessness and child welfare involvement are unsettling: - 57.8% of youth experiencing homelessness reported some type of involvement with child protection services over their lifetime. - 63.1% of youth who are homeless report experiencing childhood trauma, abuse, and/or neglect - a key cause of involvement with child welfare. - 73.3% of youth who became homeless before the age of 16 reported involvement with child protection services. - Compared to the general public (Statistics Canada, 2011), youth experiencing homelessness are 193 times more likely to have been involved with the child welfare system than the general public. - 31.5% of youth who are homeless report their first contact with the welfare system at the age of 6, with 53% reporting continued involvement beyond the age of 16. - Indigenous youth make up 7% of the total population of young Canadians, yet make up half of individuals involved in child protection services (Statistics Canada, 2011). Importantly, Without a Home also found that youth facing structural and systemic disadvantage (e.g., poverty, racism, homophobia) are more likely to experience both child welfare involvement and homelessness. For example, data indicates that LGBTQ2S, transgender, and gender nonbinary youth are more likely to have had child welfare involvement than cisgender and straight homeless youth.
Open Access
Child Welfare and Youth Homelessness in Canada: A Proposal for Action - Executive Summary
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Nichols, Naomi; Schwan, Kaitlin; Gaetz, Stephen; Redman, Melanie; French, David; Kidd, Sean; O'Grady, Bill
With the release of Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey (2016), we now have robust national data on youth homelessness for the first time in Canada. The research findings on the relationship between youth homelessness and child welfare involvement are unsettling.
Open Access
Facing FAQs: H1N1 and Homelessness in Toronto
(The Homeless Hub Press, 2015) Buccieri, Kristy; Gaetz, Stephen
The homelessness sector of Toronto faced a public health threat from the H1N1 pandemic. This report shares the findings of research undertaken in 2010 and 2011, assessing the pandemic preparedness of the homelessness sector before, during, and after the outbreak. Interviews were conducted with 149 homeless individuals, fifteen social service providers, and five key stakeholders involved in the H1N1 response. This report is divided into five key sections, and uses a question and answer approach to examine the core issues: 1. “Homelessness, Health and Infrastructure in Toronto” examines how the homelessness sector is organized, how well homeless individuals are faring mentally and physically within the city, and how the sector organizes health care services for its clients. 2. “Preparing the Homelessness Sector for H1N1” explores the work that was done prior to the outbreak and the challenges that arose. 3. “H1N1 and the Homelessness Sector Response” examines how the sector performed during the outbreak phase. Included in this section are discussions of operational changes, communication strategies, supplies, vaccination efforts, and infection control measures. 4. “Learning from H1N1” offers a reflection on how prepared the sector is for another outbreak and what challenges would need to be overcome in the event of a more severe pandemic. This report ends with a “Conclusion and Recommendations” section that pulls the key findings together and offers recommendations for creating a more integrated and interconnected sector.
Open Access
Family and Natural Supports: A Framework to Enhance Young People’s Network of Support
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2020) Borato, Meryl; Gaetz, Stephen; McMillan, Lesley
This framework introduces and provides an overview of Family and Natural Supports (FNS), a preventive approach to addressing youth homelessness. FNS is a key component of a larger systemic shift in responses to homelessness, away from emergency service provision and instead toward the prevention of youth homelessness. This framework explains FNS, its core principles and guiding philosophy, presents considerations for implementing FNS in communities, and provides case examples of what this work can look like in practice. It also addresses the need for early interventions (including Family and Natural Supports) and the compelling reasons to shift to prevention as the new prevailing response to youth homelessness. The FNS framework builds on the foundational work of the Change Collective’s Working with Vulnerable Youth to Enhance their Natural Supports. The FNS framework was co-developed with practitioners from the Making the Shift Demonstration (MtS DEMs) sites in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Red Deer. The framework is also informed by preliminary qualitative data and lessons learned from the eight demonstration projects in Ontario and Alberta that are testing the FNS principles laid out here. This guide will be updated based on ongoing research emerging from these projects, including developmental, implementation, and summative evaluations.
Open Access
Leading the Way: Reimagining Federal Leadership on Preventing Homelessness
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Gaetz, Stephen; Dej, Erin; Donaldson, Jesse; Ali, Nadia
Before us is a significant opportunity to reimagine the federal government’s leadership role in homelessness. After more than 25 years of declining spending on affordable housing, the Government of Canada is launching a National Housing Strategy (NHS) with a 10-year investment in expanding the supply of affordable housing and enhancing sustainable longterm housing outcomes for Canadians. A key pillar of the NHS will be a renewal and redesign of the existing Homelessness Partnering Strategy. The last renewal of HPS in 2013 saw the Government of Canada play an important leadership role in mobilizing the results of the At Home/Chez Soi study to expand the implementation of Housing First across Canada – in essence, opening the back door to homelessness. As we turn towards a reimagined national strategy on homelessness, the Government of Canada has an opportunity to show leadership by closing the front door, through supporting a shift to homelessness prevention. This means stopping the flow of individuals and families into homelessness, and at the same time being unwilling to wait for such persons to find themselves in desperate situations — situations that can cause irreparable harm — before we help them exit homelessness. The renewed national strategy on homelessness can help make the shift to prevention through supporting communities to act quickly and creatively, to prevent homelessness before it ever begins. Toward this end, the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH) submits a bold vision for a national initiative on homelessness prevention, within a new national strategy on homelessness. The vision presented here can assist the Government of Canada in its commitment to preventing and ending homelessness for generations to come. In this brief we cover the following: - What is homelessness prevention? - Can the Government of Canada play a leadership role in homelessness prevention? - How can the prevention of homelessness be prioritized within a reimagined national strategy on homelessness?
Open Access
Mental Health Care for Homeless Youth: A Proposal for Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Leadership, Coordination, and Targeted Investment
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Schwan, Kaitlin; Kidd, Sean; Gaetz, Stephen; O'Grady, Bill; Redman, Melanie
With the release of Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey (2016), we now have national data on youth homelessness for the first time in Canada. The mental health findings of this report are startling: - 85.4% of homeless youth were experiencing a mental health crisis - 42% of homeless youth reported at least one suicide attempt - 35.2% of homeless youth reported having at least one drug overdose requiring hospitalization Youth experiencing the most severe mental health challenges include LGBTQ2S youth, Indigenous youth, and young women. LGBTQ2S youth and Indigenous youth are also more likely to attempt suicide, become homeless at a young age, and have multiple experiences of homelessness. Falling Short: Youth Homelessness as Systems Failure Homeless youth in Canada often struggle to access appropriate services that are equipped to support the co-occurring mental health and addictions challenges they face. This is an issue of failed systems and poor coordination across systems. Barriers to appropriate supports include: Variable quality and responsiveness of care, including long waitlists - The segregation of different care systems (e.g., education, health, and social services), and lack of coordination and integration among existing services - Lack of funding and funding disparities, resulting in organizations that are understaffed, lack clinical resources, and are overwhelmed - A focus on emergency care and response, rather than prevention The Need for Government Action to Address the Mental Health Needs of Homeless Youth While mental health and housing status are intimately linked, our policies and programs have been insufficiently funded and coordinated to enable effective, timely, and appropriate care for some of the most marginalized young people in our country. In order to prevent and end youth homelessness in Canada and address the mental health needs of youth who are homeless, two key government actions must be taken: - Federal implementation of a youth homelessness strategy embedded within the renewed federal investment in homelessness, with a special focus on mental health and wellness. - Provincial and territorial implementation of provincial/territorial strategies to prevent and end youth homelessness, ensuring that the mental health needs of youth at a high risk of homelessness and experiencing homelessness are addressed both through these targeted strategies and the federal mental health transfer funds. By employing a systems approach, these efforts can address the need for improved coordination and collaboration across services and sectors to best meet the needs of youth who are homeless. Government leadership and investment in this area will position Canada as an international leader on youth homelessness, youth mental health, and systems integration. Why Now? - Suicide and drug overdose are the leading causes of death for young Canadians who are homeless - Improving a child’s mental health from moderate to high can lead to a lifetime savings of $140,000 - New federal health transfer funds provide provinces and territories the opportunity to invest in mental health services for marginalized youth - Increasing numbers of communities across Canada are adopting youth homelessness strategies - The federal government has declared youth a key priority - The economic cost of mental health problems and illnesses to Canada is at least $50 billion per year in lost productivity - The federal government’s re-investment in HPS provides a crucial opportunity to address youth homelessness Recommendations for Government Government of Canada 1. Federal leadership in the development and implementation of a National Youth Homelessness Strategy to prevent and end youth homelessness, supported by a targeted investment. 2. Federal prioritization and support for systems integration at the provincial, territorial, and community levels to address the mental health needs of youth experiencing homelessness. 3. Federal support for program models that focus on prevention and rapid exits from homelessness for youth, within which strategies for addressing the mental health needs of youth should be embedded. 4. Federal adoption of a youth-centered approach to addressing youth homelessness, grounded in human rights. 5. Federal commitment to addressing the unique needs of diverse youth experiencing homelessness, as reflected in both policy and funding. 6. Federal adoption of a national research strategy focused on youth homelessness in order to advance an integrated systems response, within which a mental health strategy is embedded in all elements. Provincial and Territorial Governments 1. Provincial and territorial development and implementation of strategies to prevent and end youth homelessness, supported by a targeted investment. 2. Provincial and territorial prioritization and support for systems integration in all efforts to address the mental health needs of youth experiencing homelessness. 3. Provincial and territorial support for program models that focus on prevention and rapid exits from homelessness, within which strategies for addressing the mental health needs of youth should be embedded. 4. Provincial and territorial adoption of a youth-centered approach to addressing youth homelessness, grounded in human rights. 5. Provincial and territorial commitment to ensuring that all provincial, territorial, and community strategies and program responses address the unique needs of diverse youth experiencing homelessness. 6. Provincial and territorial knowledge development and data management specific to youth homelessness in order to advance an integrated systems response, with a special focus on youth’s mental health and wellness.
Open Access
Mental Health Care for Homeless Youth: A Proposal for Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Leadership, Coordination, and Targeted Investment - Executive Summary
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Schwan, Kaitlin; Kidd, Sean; Gaetz, Stephen; O'Grady, Bill; Redman, Melanie
With the release of Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey (2016), we now have national data on youth homelessness for the first time in Canada. The mental health findings of this report are startling: - 85.4% of homeless youth were experiencing a mental health crisis - 42% of homeless youth reported at least one suicide attempt - 35.2% of homeless youth reported having at least one drug overdose requiring hospitalization
Open Access
A New Direction: A Framework for Homelessness Prevention
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Gaetz, Stephen; Dej, Erin
Prevention makes sense. To prevent disease, we vaccinate. To prevent traffic deaths, we install seat belts. While we recognize intuitively that preventing homelessness is a good idea, there has been little movement in Canada to make that happen on a national scale. A New Direction: A Framework for Homelessness Prevention sets out to provide the language and clarity to begin that conversation. Since mass homelessness emerged in the mid-1980s, we have largely used emergency services to respond to people’s immediate needs. While we will always need emergency services to help those in crisis, over time these short-term responses have become the standard method for managing homelessness long-term. In the last decade, Canadian policies and practices have begun to shift from managing homelessness to finding solutions, in particular the expansion of the Housing First approach across the country. The Housing First model provides housing and supports for people experiencing chronic homelessness with no housing readiness requirements. New research, innovation, and best practices have propelled our thinking to make the goal of ending homelessness realistic; however, we are still missing an important piece – preventing homelessness in the first place. Why must we wait until people are entrenched in homelessness before offering help? In A New Direction: A Framework for Homelessness Prevention, we set out to uncover what it will take to stop homelessness before it starts, to avoid its often-traumatizing effects. The aim of the framework is to begin a nation-wide conversation on what prevention looks like, and what it will take to shift toward homelessness prevention. Using international examples, the framework operationalizes the policies and practices necessary to successfully prevent homelessness and highlights who is responsible. Above all, it situates prevention within a human rights approach. Now is the time to prioritize homelessness prevention.
Open Access
Opportunity Knocks: Prioritizing Canada’s Most Vulnerable Youth
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) French, David; Gaetz, Stephen; Redman, Melanie
In a caring and affluent society like Canada, it is unacceptable that any young person would become entrenched in homelessness as a result of family breakdown and systems failures. Despite little evidence that we are reducing youth homelessness, we continue to rely on crisis responses such as emergency shelters and day programs. Even worse, it is objectionable to simply rely on a crisis response to address the issue, exposing young people to harm and expecting them to “bootstrap” themselves out of homelessness. Numerous studies have demonstrated the harmful consequences of allowing young people to remain in an extended state of homelessness, and yet few communities in Canada have youthspecific systems or strategies to help them transition quickly into housing. In this regard, we are not making sufficient progress and too many young people remain stuck in homelessness. The following brief articulates the vision of a distinct, youth-focused funding stream through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS). It focuses on four strategies: A) Community Planning and Systems Coordination B) Program Interventions C) Governance and Structure D) Data Collection and Research It also introduces youth-centred outcomes that can be supported and leveraged across Federal departments: - Increased housing stability for youth; - Prevention of youth homelessness; - Healthy transitions to adulthood; - Enhanced educational participation and achievement; - Stronger employment and labour market participation outcomes; and - Increased resiliency in homeless youth and youth at risk of becoming homeless. The renewal of the national strategy on homelessness presents a real opportunity to transform how we address youth homelessness in Canada, by moving from managing the crisis and putting young people at great risk, to an approach that focuses on the health and well-being of young people and assisting them to transition to adulthood in a safe and planned manner. The Government of Canada can show great leadership in this regard through making prevention and ending of youth homelessness a priority within the renewed national strategy. This means retaining current investments in Housing First and other community supports but also a dedicated investment in, and prioritization, of youth homelessness.
Open Access
Preventing Youth Homelessness in the Canadian Education System: Young People Speak Out
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2020) Malenfant, Jayne; Schwan, Kaitlin; French, David; Gaetz, Stephen; Redman, Melanie
In Canada, we have primarily responded to youth homelessness reactively rather than proactively. We provide emergency supports to young people once they are already on the streets, missing many opportunities to intervene beforehand. Research also tells us that many public systems (e.g., child welfare, education, criminal justice) contribute to young people’s risk of homelessness. While youth homelessness is often framed as the responsibility of the youth homelessness sector, the truth is that many public systems affect the housing status of young people. Youth who struggle in the education system, have interactions with the law, or are unable to get their healthcare needs met are more likely to experience homelessness. Likewise, housing precarity makes it difficult to find employment, make progress in school, or build supportive social networks. Youth who worry about where they will sleep or if they will be abused each night are less likely to succeed in or benefit from systems that are neither designed for, nor acknowledge, their circumstances. It is time to transform our public systems to improve outcomes for all youth and reduce the risk of homelessness for any young person. This discussion paper is part of a series focused on the important roles that public systems can play in preventing youth homelessness in Canada. The foundation of this paper is What Would it Take? Youth Across Canada Speak Out on Youth Homelessness Prevention, a study conducted by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and A Way Home Canada. As part of this study, over 100 youth with lived experience of homelessness were consulted on how to prevent youth homelessness in Canada. Across 12 communities and 7 provinces and territories, youth told us that public systems should be the engine of youth homelessness prevention in Canada. This discussion paper also builds on previous work conceptualizing prevention, including specifically A New Direction: A Framework for Homelessness Prevention and Coming of Age: Reimagining the Response to Youth Homelessness. This paper also builds on The Roadmap for the Prevention of Youth Homelessness, which provides a definition of youth homelessness prevention, a prevention typology, and a common language for policy and practice in this area. The Roadmap provides a guide for how to implement youth homelessness prevention across the country and beyond, centred on research evidence and the voices of young experts who have experienced homelessness. This series aims to amplify the voices and wisdom of these young people in order to drive public systems change. Through these discussion papers, professionals and policy makers across public systems will be provided with concrete recommendations for how they can participate in youth homelessness prevention. In the context of COVID-19, public systems will be critical to assessing and meeting young peoples’ needs. As the Canadian education system adapts to the pandemic, schools have the opportunity to play an enhanced role in the lives of youth and families who are homeless, precariously housed and/or at-risk of homelessness. Schools need to be adequately resourced and supported by the broader community of services to do this work. This discussion paper outlines some key avenues for action, grounded in the voices of young people themselves.
Open Access
Sans domicile : un sondage national sur l’itinérance chez les jeunes
(Observatoire canadien sur l’itinérance, 2016) Gaetz, Stephen; O'Grady, Bill; Kidd, Sean; Schwan, Kaitlin
L’itinérance chez les jeunes demeure un problème qui semble être insoluble au Canada. Nous croyons qu’il y a des solutions à l’itinérance chez les jeunes, et cela signifie que nous devons nous y prendre autrement. Le sondage Sans domicile est la première étude pancanadienne sur les jeunes personnes qui connaissent l’itinérance. Comprenant 1 103 répondants provenant de 49 collectivités différentes de 10 provinces et territoires, l’échantillonnage de cette étude nous a permis de faire une analyse détaillée et de tirer des conclusions importantes. L’étude Sans domicile a démontré que nous attendons bien trop longtemps avant d’intervenir dans l’itinérance chez les jeunes. Dans de nombreuses juridictions, les services aux jeunes qui vivent l’itinérance ne sont pas disponibles jusqu’à ce qu’ils aient 16 ou même 18 ans. Les données présentées ici indiquent que d’ici là, beaucoup de dommages auront déjà été provoqués. Dans le présent rapport, nous avons souligné le besoin d’une approche basée sur la prévention qui priorise l’intégration des systèmes et Logement d’abord pour les jeunes. Les systèmes courants ont tendance à être axés sur la prestation de soutiens en aval, lorsque les jeunes personnes sont bien plus âgées. Au lieu de nous concentrer sur la prévention du problème ou la réduction des conséquences néfastes de l’itinérance chez les jeunes, nous avons plutôt tendance à attendre qu’une rupture ou crise majeures se produisent avant d’intervenir, ou que les problèmes auxquels les jeunes font face deviennent bien plus sévères. Ce rapport démontre très clairement qu’une telle approche donne lieu à des souffrances : précarité du logement, violence, marginalisation, défis de santé et exclusion sociale. En ne mettant pas en place des stratégies plus efficaces pour lutter contre l’itinérance chez les jeunes, nous portons atteinte aux droits humains de ces jeunes. Si nous voulons vraiment que ces jeunes atteignent de meilleurs résultats, nous devons mieux faire. Ce sondage fournit aux décideurs, aux prestataires de services, aux chercheurs et au grand public des informations de base sur l’itinérance chez les jeunes au Canada. Le défi auquel nous faisons face dorénavant est de mobiliser ces connaissances de manière à garantir que chaque jeune personne a accès au logement, la sécurité, l’éducation et les soutiens.
Open Access
The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2016) Gaetz, Stephen; Dej, Erin; Richter, Tim; Redman, Melanie
Mass homelessness in Canada emerged in the 1980s, following a massive disinvestment in affordable housing, structural shifts in the economy and reduced spending on social supports. Since then, stakeholders across the country have tried and tested solutions to address the issue. These responses, largely based on the provision of emergency services, have prevented meaningful progress. Fortunately, there are many signs that we are entering a new phase – one that will lead to an end to homelessness in Canada. This next phase is marked by the promising results of the Housing First model across Canada, significant reductions in homelessness in Medicine Hat and Hamilton, federal interest and investment in housing and homelessness, and importantly, the return to a National Housing Strategy – a long overdue conversation in Canada. We know that ending homelessness in Canada requires partnerships across public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. It means working upstream to prevent homelessness, as well as providing safe, appropriate, and affordable housing with supports for those experiencing homelessness. With support from all orders of government, a commitment to housing as a human right, and evidence-based solutions we can, collectively, prevent and end homelessness. The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016 provides a roadmap for the way forward. Including a series of joint recommendations – drafted by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and the Canadian Alliance to end Homelessness – for the National Housing Strategy.
Open Access
Surviving Crime and Violence: Street Youth and Victimization in Toronto
(2010-09-16) Gaetz, Stephen; O'Grady, Bill; Buccieri, Kristy
Any parent would be outraged if their child was exposed to violence and crime. Any community would consider this to be unacceptable. Should we be concerned about the risks that young people who are homeless face? In our report, “Surviving Crime and Violence”, we explore the relationship between youth homelessness and criminal victimization. Our research highlights the degree to which the lives of young people who are homeless are characterized by high levels of crime and violence. This report, prepared for Justice for Children and Youth, was led by Stephen Gaetz (York University) and Bill O’Grady (University of Guelph). Two hundred and forty four homeless youth in Toronto were interviewed in 2009 about life on the streets, including their experiences of criminal victimization. While street youth are often portrayed in public discussions as dangerous, threatening and delinquent, this new research highlights the degree to which it is street youth themselves who are clearly vulnerable to crime and violence. The findings of this research reveal that street youth are victimized frequently, in large part due to the vulnerabilities that young people face when they are homeless. Particularly concerning are the findings which indicate that interventions to this victimization are not being effectively addressed by the criminal justice and shelter systems or by other professionals involved in the lives of street youth. We suggest that if the levels of violence and other forms of crime found in this study were being experienced by any other group of youth in Canada there would be immediate public outrage and considerable pressure for government to take action. Street youth deserve the same level of attention in responding to and preventing crime and violence that any other group of Canadian citizens are entitled to. Such attention is needed so that street youth have an opportunity to move forward in life.
Open Access
THIS is Housing First for Youth. Part 1 – Program Model Guide
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2021) Gaetz, Stephen; Walter, Heidi; Story, Chad
Part 1: Program Model Guide Housing First for Youth (HF4Y) is an adaptation of the well-established Housing First approach used to address homelessness. Housing First programs – including the Pathways model and the At Home/Chez Soi project – have shown great success in addressing the needs of adults who experience homelessness, particularly for chronically homeless individuals with significant mental health and addictions issues. HF4Y is an adaption of the adult Housing First model, but it is based on the understanding that the causes and conditions of youth homelessness are distinct from adults, and therefore the solutions must be youth-focused. HF4Y is grounded in the belief that all young people have a right to housing and that those who have experienced homelessness will do better and recover more effectively if they are first provided with housing. About the Program Model Guide THIS is Housing First for Youth: Program Model Guide provides an overview of the research, principles, and philosophy underpinning the HF4Y model. It concludes with a series of case examples of successful local adaptions of the model in communities from around the world. The key takeaway is that HF4Y builds on many of the best practices of Housing First, but has been designed to support the distinct needs of adolescents transitioning into adulthood. The services that must accompany dedicated housing encompass a broader range of areas of wellbeing. Part 2 of this guide takes the form of an operations manual, providing practical guidance for how to implement HF4Y. It touches upon a number of areas, including case management, supervision, community planning, and designing youth-focused service supports. It is intended for service providers and community planners who may be interested in the operational aspects of HF4Y.
Open Access
THIS is Housing First for Youth: A Program Model Guide (2017)
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2017) Gaetz, Stephen
In recent years, policy-makers and service providers have expressed concerns about whether and how Housing First can be applied to the population of young people who experience homelessness. In response, A Safe and Decent Place to Live was developed to provide a workable framework for Housing First for Youth (HF4Y). It is important to note that the development of this framework was the result of a collaboration between the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (formerly the Canadian Homelessness Research Network) and two bodies that work with young people who are homeless: The Street Youth Planning Collaborative (Hamilton) and the National Learning Community on Youth Homelessness. Young people with lived experience of homelessness were an important part of this process, and provided necessary and valuable input. Much has changed in a very short time. Since the report was released, communities in Canada and elsewhere in the world (including the U.S. and several countries in Europe) have begun to implement HF4Y programs consistent with this framework. A downside of the growth in interest in HF4Y is that in many contexts, people are using the term “HF4Y” but not following the framework, by either simply applying the mainstream Housing First approach without adapting it to the needs of young people, or having unrealistically large caseloads and strict time limits. The ongoing development of our understanding of emerging examples of HF4Y, combined with a need to clarify how it actually needs to be implemented on the ground, led to a consideration of the need to build on the framework and develop a more comprehensive HF4Y program model guide. In order to move forward, we engaged in an extensive consultation process in Canada (led by A Way Home Canada in consultation with the National Learning Community on Youth Homelessness), the U.S. (involving the National Network for Youth, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a large number of communities) and in Europe (involving FEANTSA and FEANTSA Youth, Focus Ireland, Rock Trust (Scotland) and others). We also consulted experts like Dr. Sam Tsemberis and Wally Czech as well as those applying the HF4Y framework in the field to get their feedback. The considerable insights and expertise of these individuals and organizations has contributed to the enhancement of an effective and achievable model of HF4Y, which is outlined in this new program model guide. What's New? The new program model guide for HF4Y includes: - Revised and refined core principles - Expanded discussion of HF4Y as a program vs. philosophy - Deeper discussion of models of accommodation and support - New sections on: * service delivery - outlining how the program should work on the ground * data * case studies A Safe and Decent Place to Live and the forthcoming THIS is Housing First for Youth program model guide are intended to provide guidance for communities, policy-makers and practitioners interested in addressing the needs of developing adolescents and young adults through the application of HF4Y.
Open Access
THIS is Housing First for Youth: Europe. A Program Model Guide
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2019) Gaetz, Stephen
NEW: European Guide (2020) This new version of the HF4Y program model guide is the outcome of five years of collaboration with our European partners including FEANTSA and FEANTSA Youth (where we have supported training), Focus Ireland, Rock Trust (Scotland) and others. Over the past several years we have worked closely with the Housing First Hub in Europe to help establish HF4Y as the most comprehensive model of support for young people exiting homelessness in Europe. Currently, a number of HF4Y programs have been, or are being evaluated across Europe in Canada, providing a strong evidence base for this approach, as well as contributing to the continuous improvement of the intervention. This new version of THIS is HF4Y adapts the program model to take account of important contextual differences between Canada and Europe, and is intended to support and guide the implementation of the model more broadly.
Open Access
THIS is Housing First for Youth: Operations Manual
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2021) Gaetz, Stephen; Walter, Heidi; Borato, Meryl; Story, Chad
The Housing First for Youth (HF4Y) program model – a youth-focused adaption of the successful Housing First intervention – is a promising example of how to do this work effectively. The THIS is Housing First for Youth: Program Model Guide provides a detailed account of the model, its origins, global adaptions, philosophy, and core principles. It is a must read for those who are new to the HF4Y approach or who would like to learn more about its core elements. This manual was created in response to community feedback that there needed to be more detailed guidance on how to do HF4Y successfully. The knowledge shared here was produced through active engagement with practitioners from across Canada and in Europe who have practice experience in providing supports to young people and their families within the HF4Y framework. The operations manual is a companion to the HF4Y program model guide and training. It is intended for executive directors, program managers and supervisors, community planners, and other leaders who are interested in adapting the HF4Y program in their community, service delivery professionals and frontline workers, case counsellors, and registered professionals working with young people who are marginalized or at-risk of or experiencing homelessness. It includes information relevant to planning and operating a HF4Y program and resources to make the process smoother, such as sample outreach materials, an operations budget, landlord engagement materials, job descriptions and postings, staff supervision and case management forms, and evaluation tools.
Open Access
The Upstream Project Canada: An Early Intervention Strategy to Prevent Youth Homelessness & School Disengagement
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2020) Sohn, Jacqueline; Gaetz, Stephen
Upstream Canada is a response to this challenge and the staggering reality that 35,000 – 45,000 youth in Canada experience homelessness each year (Gaetz, 2016). This initiative is a preventive approach to the problem that works to offer supports to youth ages 12-18 who are identified as at risk of homelessness and school disengagement through a universal screening tool called the Student Needs Assessment (SNA). This universal approach sets Upstream Canada apart from other interventions as it identifies students who do not display outward signs of risk and experience barriers to accessing help. Upstream Canada is an adaptation of work that originated in Australia as The Geelong Project (since renamed Upstream Australia), which has demonstrated a 40% reduction in youth homelessness three years after implementation. As an equity-focused early intervention that works through the collective efforts of schools and community-based organizations, Upstream Canada works to prevent youth homelessness and early school leaving.
Open Access
The Upstream Project Canada: An Early Intervention Strategy to Prevent Youth Homelessness & School Disengagement
(Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 2020) Sohn, Jacqueline; Gaetz, Stephen
Upstream Canada is a response to this challenge and the staggering reality that 35,000 – 45,000 youth in Canada experience homelessness each year (Gaetz, 2016). This initiative is a preventive approach to the problem that works to offer supports to youth ages 12-18 who are identified as at risk of homelessness and school disengagement through a universal screening tool called the Student Needs Assessment (SNA). This universal approach sets Upstream Canada apart from other interventions as it identifies students who do not display outward signs of risk and experience barriers to accessing help. Upstream Canada is an adaptation of work that originated in Australia as The Geelong Project (since renamed Upstream Australia), which has demonstrated a 40% reduction in youth homelessness three years after implementation. As an equity-focused early intervention that works through the collective efforts of schools and community-based organizations, Upstream Canada works to prevent youth homelessness and early school leaving.
Open Access
VOICI le Logement d’abord pour les jeunes : Europe. Un guide de modèle de programme
(Presse de l’Observatoire canadien sur l’itinérance, 2019) Gaetz, Stephen
Au cours des dernières années, les décideurs politiques et les prestataires de services ont exprimé leurs inquiétudes sur la façon dont le Logement d’abord pouvait être utilisé pour la population des jeunes sansabri, et s’il pouvait l’être. Comme réponse, Un endroit sûr et décent où vivre a été créé pour fournir un cadre fonctionnel de Logement d’abord pour les jeunes (HF4Y). Il est important de souligner que la création de ce cadre a été le résultat d’une collaboration entre l’Observatoire canadien sur l’itinérance (antérieurement le Réseau canadien de recherches sur l’itinérance) et deux organismes travaillant avec les jeunes sans-abri : le Street Youth Planning Collaborative (Hamilton) et la Communauté nationale d’apprentissage sur l’itinérance chez les jeunes. De plus, les jeunes sans-abri ont joué un rôle important dans ce processus et ont apporté une contribution nécessaire et précieuse. Beaucoup de changements se sont produits en peu de temps. Depuis la parution du rapport, des collectivités du Canada et d’ailleurs au monde (y compris les É.-U. et plusieurs pays européens) ont commencé à mettre en place des programmes HF4Y conformes à ce cadre. L’inconvénient de cet intérêt accru pour HF4Y est que dans de nombreux contextes, le terme « HF4Y » est souvent utilisé sans en observer le cadre, soit en appliquant l’approche globale du Logement d’abord sans l’adapter aux besoins des jeunes, soit en s’occupant d’un nombre irréaliste de cas et dans des délais trop stricts. L’objectif de Un endroit sûr et décent où vivre et du guide de modèle de programme VOICI Logement d’abord pour les jeunes à venir est d’offrir une direction pour que les collectivités, les décideurs et les praticiens qui désirent aborder les besoins des adolescents et des jeunes adultes en développement grâce à l’application de HF4Y. Le développement continu de notre compréhension des exemples naissants de HF4Y, combiné à un besoin de clarifier la façon dont cela doit être réellement mis en oeuvre sur le terrain, a conduit à une prise en considération du besoin de se servir du cadre pour créer un guide de modèle de programme HF4Y plus complet. Pour progresser, nous nous sommes engagés dans un processus de consultation étendu au Canada (mené par Vers un chez-soi et en consultation avec la Communauté nationale d’apprentissage sur l’itinérance chez les jeunes), aux États-Unis (avec l’aide du National Network for Youth, le United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, le ministère américain de la Santé et des Services humains ainsi qu’un grand nombre de communautés) et en Europe, avec FEANTSA et FEANTSA Jeunesse, Focus Ireland, Rock Trust (Écosse) et d’autres). Nous avons aussi consulté des experts tels que le Dr Sam Tsemberis et Wally Czech, ainsi que ceux qui ont appliqué le cadre HF4Y sur le terrain, pour obtenir leur opinion. Les perspectives et l’expertise considérables de ces experts et organismes ont contribué à l’amélioration d’un modèle HF4Y efficace et réalisable, tel que décrit dans ce nouveau guide de modèle de programme.