Youth homelessness shows no signs of subsiding and Barrie's Youth Haven is preparing for the challenges.
At its annual meeting, board members and staff members outlined programs for the coming years.
Executive Director Lucy Gowers says her goal is to see a new facility because the one at 22 Wellington St. E. is not meeting the needs of the youth experiencing homelessness.
"We serve 200 youth (between 16 and 24) every year. We usually have about 16 each night, but sometimes we are up to 20 and every single month we are forced to turn away six to eight young people. The hope is to increase the capacity by 10 beds. Our goal is to expand housing and outreach services. I would ultimately like to see a new facility but there's no timeframe for that. We would need to do a feasibility study and have a strong plan in place before going to the community."
'Rent Smart' is currently being rolled out across Simcoe County to assist young people with acquiring and maintaining housing.
Gowers explains, "Housing is a real challenge. Our clients have a hard time getting an apartment sometimes because of their age or the fact they have no permanent address. The other issue is maintaining a home. In this program we are teaching important life skills so the youth can become good tenants."
Director of Operations, Nicole Barkley says of the 206 at-risk youth assisted, last year, 12 were moved into transitional housing and 45 were successfully housed.
"That's not a great number. The good news that as of this month that number is already 37."
Hailey, who is a client, told the audience that when she came to Youth Haven a year and a half ago she trusted nobody and was badly in debt.
"I finally opened up to the staff and felt so much better. I help around the shelter with chores and in the garden. I worked on a budget and have now paid off two credit cards and am working on the third. I am looking for my own place. I have a fish and it feels great to have something that is depending on me. I have so much respect for the staff. I don't know where I would be today without them."
Youth Haven's next fundraiser is July 28's Ride for Youth Haven, is a motorcycle ride which begins at the Innisfill Recreation Complex.
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