HOUSING STUDY

Transitioning Youth Out of Homelessness: A Community-Based Pilot Study of a Rent
Subsidy and Mentoring Intervention in Three Canadian Cities
By Lead Investigator: Dr. Naomi Thulien

This project aims to follow youth aged 16-24 have just been recently housed within the last year. Living Rock is participating in this project representing Hamilton. There are currently 6 youth in Hamilton enrolled in this project and three of whom have randomly been assigned a mentor of their choice.

Mentors that are working along-side youth will offer support around making life choices that will offer the greatest stability in staying housed.

“I can’t wait to be out on my own and living with people that are going to push me to grow”

HOUSING STUDY 

The Living Rock participated in a 3 year , Youth Housing Support Project (YHSP). The project was started by the Street Youth Planning Collaborative (SYPC) and led by the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton with Good Shepherd Youth Services, Living Rock Ministries, and Wesley Urban Ministries. The YHSP provides street-involved and homeless youth with a range of supports to address their housing needs. Case Managers with the Youth Housing Support Project utilize market listings to conduct housing searches. Case Managers will support the youth by attending apartment viewings, building relationships with landlords and facilitating with Ontario works and Ontario Disabilities Support Project.

The Living Rock employed three housing workers under the Youth Housing Support Project:

The Homelessness Prevention Case Manager (HPCM) worked with street involved and homeless youth between the ages of 16-25. The HPCM will support these youth to find and maintain housing. Youth who work with the HPCM are usually transitioning away from homelessness and have had multiple challenges and barriers to finding housing. The HPCM offers supports that are positive youth development oriented, youth-centred, strengths-based and housing-focused. The HPCM will offer services to mitigate risk factors related to youth homelessness or may liaise with community partners to connect youth to appropriate services. 

The Intensive Community Case Manager (ICCM) on the housing first team supports youth ages 16-25 that are experiencing chronic or episodic homelessness. The ICCM worked to get youth to move from the streets or shelter into permanent housing. The ICCM will provide case management support, such as working together with you and implementing plans of care that supports youth in creating/achieving their housing related goals. The ICCM will work with the youth to better integrate them into the community by accessing and identifying opportunities for positive engagement. 

The Housing Engagement Support Worker (HESW) worked alongside the ICCM. Their role is to co-ordinate key tasks that are required for a youth to successfully transition from experiencing homelessness into safe and stable housing. HESW’s may be called in to support a youth with life skills or their move-in process.