Housing Homeless Youth

in Vancouver: Key Barriers and

Strategic Responses

S. Basi, T. Clelland, N. Khind, A. Morris, and P. Severinson

Introduction - The Problem The 2011 Vancouver homeless count found 349 homeless youth, a 29% increase from the year before.  

The City of Vancouver has committed to ending street homelessness by the year 2015.

Introduction - The Topic Youth homelessness is...  A recognized problem in cities across

Canada  A major national policy issue in countries

around the world  The focus of significant research

Introduction - Purpose of Study BC Housing has requested for us to determine: What is the best youth homelessness strategy for Vancouver?

 

Approach  Prepare an inventory of current services

to address youth homelessness in Vancouver

 Summarize available information on youth homelessness in Canada and Vancouver

 Review 3 case studies on unique strategies or programs addressing youth homelessness

 Recommend programs to address and prevent youth homelessness

Outline 1.  Methodology

2.  Overview of gaps in services and opportunities for improvement in Vancouver

3.  Strategy 1.  Collaboration of Services 2.  Prevention / Early Intervention 3.  Prioritize Youth

4.  Next Steps

Methodology  Review of the literature

  Interviews with stakeholders   International, Canada-wide, and Vancouver

 Who are the stakeholders?   Government and non-profit policy makers and

service providers

Vancouver Overview of Gaps in Services Relevant perspectives of service providers   Service fragmentation   Inadequate provisions for transition   General lack of services + housing   Inflexibility   Inconsistency in services due to unreliable funding   Treating youth as a homogenous population with a

one-fits-all policy   Lack of services citywide dedicated to dealing

with unique aspects of overrepresented demographics

Opportunities for Improvement  There are many best practices at the

micro level within individual organizations

  Impact of these practices on decreasing the number of homeless youth is limited

  If these practices were implemented broadly across Vancouver, the entire system would be more effective

Strategy An integrated city-wide system approach with three overarching principles designed to address the identified barriers preventing youth from becoming stably housed in Vancouver  Collaboration of services

 Prevention / early intervention  Prioritization of youth

Collaboration of Services Recommended practices: A collaboration of services would entail four steps:  1: A community continuum of care  2: Implementation of a central intake system  3: Development of a database system  4: A referral/case management system

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Collaboration of Services 1: A community continuum of care The U.S. Continuum of Care strategy The goal is that each community develop the capacity to meet a variety of needs. Benefits to this include: 1.  Simplified funding responsibilities of government 2.  Better planning in a community to ensure a

balance of services that meet the community's need

3.  Provision of a platform where community collaboration can happen

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Collaboration of Services 2: Implementation of a central intake system The U.S. central-intake strategy   A central intake is a single office that manages intake

for several services Using central intakes:

  Reduces the time clients spend finding services   Reduces the amount of time practitioners spend

answering calls   Helps people with specific needs reach the right service   Allows for systematic data gathering

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Collaboration of Services 3: Development of a database system Calgary Homeless Foundation HMIS - Homeless Management Information System

  Electronic data collection system   Developed and implemented through bottom-up

community collaboration   Led to desire to participate by outside agencies

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Collaboration of Services 4: Referral / case management system Calgary Homeless Foundation  Relies on case management in their 10-year

plan to end youth homelessness  Developed a model of standard accepted

practices  All case managers must be accredited

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Prevention / Early Intervention Recommended practices:   Identifying at-risk youth before they become

homeless, through the foster-care, youth-justice or education systems

 Helping to stabilize their existing home

situation through family mediation, counselling and person-centered case management

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Prevention / Early Intervention Background of Vancouver homeless youth:

 44% to 52% had been in some form of government care

 61% to 70% had been kicked out of home  71% had experienced physical abuse (Various Vancouver-area service providers)

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Prevention / Early Intervention Australia - The Reconnect program  A national youth homelessness prevention

program   It uses a broad mix of services, relying heavily

on family mediation  Depends on system-wide cooperation  Unique Australian asset: network of school-

based social workers

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Prioritize Youth Recommended practices:  Prioritize youth homelessness separately from

the general category of homelessness  Provide targeted services to specific

subgroups of youth

1.  Acuity scale risk assessment 2.  Subgroup specific programs 3.  Education and employment skills training 4.  Housing first approach for youth

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Prioritize Youth 1. Acuity scale risk assessment Tool available from Calgary for use with case managers

  Homelessness is predictable   Cases can be ranked and prioritized for housing

and services

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Prioritize Youth 2. Sub-group specific programs Homeless youth in Vancouver are:  15% to 38% Aboriginal  36% to 51% LGBT  44% to 47% have addictions problems  27% to 31% have serious mental illness (Various Vancouver-area service providers)

Gear shelters and services towards these demographics

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Prioritize Youth 3. Education and employment skills training

  Prioritizes youth at high risk of homelessness   Several Canadian cities (St. John’s, Halifax,

Toronto, Winnipeg)   Tutoring for GED or high school completion   Trains youth in energy retrofits, printing industry,

building construction or computer trades   High success levels – Training for Trades - 80%

go on to post-secondary education or are employed

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Prioritize Youth 4. Housing First  Focuses on finding stable housing before offering

other supports   Improves chances of developing employment

skills and seeking medical treatment

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Prioritize Youth 4. Housing First Toronto - Streets to Home  Outreach – workers approach youth on the

street and attempt help them find housing  Collaboration – program funds 29 partner

agencies to help them deliver services  Follow-up Supports – once a lease is signed

clients are assigned a follow up support worker for 12 months

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Next Steps While we believe all of these policies and programs would be beneficial for Vancouver, the number one concern for service providers is service fragmentation. Therefore, we recommend implementing an HMIS data and central intake system using a collaborative community approach to bring the whole breadth of services in Vancouver together. Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps

Next Steps Collaborate with government and non-government institutions and services to continue improving prevention and prioritization efforts. These steps:

  Address all three principles   Increase effectiveness and efficiency of the

system-wide strategy

Collaboration Prevention Prioritization Next Steps