Have you heard about Housing First for Youth? What about Youth Reconnect or Duty to Assist? These are just some of the youth homelessness prevention programs that can be implemented in communities of any size across Canada.
Take our survey to help us understand your knowledge of and interest in these youth homelessness prevention interventions and others, and what it would take to implement them in your community.
One respondent will be selected to win a presentation or consultation for your organization valued at $1,000. Continue reading to learn how to enter.
About the Study
Our latest research study aims to discover what you/your organization knows about youth homelessness prevention program models, who has implemented these programs across Canada and how they’ve found success or barriers to implementation. The five program models our survey will ask you to share your knowledge on are:
- Housing First for Youth (HF4Y)
The Housing First for Youth (HF4Y) program model was adapted from the Housing First model. It aims to provide safe, appropriate, and affordable housing and other necessary supports to help prevent youth from experiencing homelessness or to exit homelessness. Learn more about HF4Y.
- Enhancing Family and Natural Supports (FNS)
The Family and Natural Supports (FNS) intervention focuses on improving youths’ relationships with their families and other meaningful adults in their lives. FNS aims to keep young people stably housed, connected to their community and school, and create a support network they can count on throughout their lives. Learn more about FNS.
- Youth Reconnect (YR)
Youth Reconnect (YR) is a community-based early intervention and prevention program that provides supports for young people between the ages 13 and 24 years old who are at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. YR engages with youth through schools or other community services. YR aims to support young people in staying connected to their family, community and school, and strengthen their connections to their family and natural supports to reduce their risk of homelessness. Learn more about YR.
- Upstream Canada
Upstream Canada is a school-based, prevention-focused early intervention approach. Its goal is to identify young people at risk of homelessness and school disengagement through a universal screening tool known as the Student Needs Assessment (SNA). The SNA identifies students who do not display outward signs of risk and experience barriers to accessing help. Learn more about Upstream Canada.
- Duty to Assist
Duty to Assist is a statutory or legal obligation requiring local authorities to make reasonable efforts to end a person’s homelessness or stabilize their housing. Under Duty to Assist, authorities are required to offer assistance to youth at risk of experiencing homelessness within 2 weeks to prevent them from becoming homeless, or to help them exit homelessness as soon as possible. This approach ensures that information, advice, and housing-led supports are given to young people under the age of 25 quickly to prevent them from experiencing homelessness, or to make that experience as brief as possible. Learn more about Duty to Assist.
We will be using a methodology called “Commitment Curve” to determine organizations' and communities' different stages of commitment to incorporating new policies, programs and practices. This methodology will help us understand your needs regarding addressing the prevention of youth homelessness, and your openness to exploring a range of preventive initiatives.
Why a Survey?
As part of Reaching Home, communities are expected to make progress on preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. Reaching Home’s mandatory community-level outcomes require Designated Communities to report on reductions in new inflows into homelessness and returns to homelessness.
By sharing your organization’s knowledge of and interest in developing youth homelessness prevention program models through our survey, we can produce information, tools and training to fill in the gaps in your knowledge to better support your community or organization in reaching your homelessness prevention goals.
One survey respondent will be selected to win a presentation or consultation for your organization valued at up to $1,000. Your choice of the prize includes one of the following:
- Virtual Presentation on Youth Homelessness Prevention
Invite your team, community, and board to an informative, 1-hour presentation on youth homelessness prevention by COH’s President & CEO, Stephen Gaetz and A Way Home Canada’s President and CEO, Melanie Redman. Learn about successful youth homelessness prevention programs across Canada and internationally to inspire you to implement youth homelessness prevention programs in your community.
- Youth Homelessness Prevention Readiness Assessment
Is your organization or agency ready to implement a youth homelessness prevention program model? Our team will conduct a light readiness assessment to determine your organization’s level of preparedness to take on a new program, with the resources to accomplish it effectively.
- Hub Solutions 1-Hour Research or Design Consultation
Considering an evaluation of one of your programs, but not sure where to begin? Have research or data you want to share with a wider audience? Our research and communications experts can help answer these questions and more. Learn more about Hub Solutions.