Colwood Rotary-Panel Youth Homelessness Rotary President, Maureen Hobbs welcomed interested participants at the

Transcription

1 FRAMING THE ISSUE ON YOUTH HOUSING September 30, 2015 Colwood Rotary-Panel Youth Homelessness Rotary President, Maureen Hobbs welcomed interested participants at the Panel: Speakers Royal Colwood for a timely panel discussion on Youth Homelessness. The key purpose of today's session: To create a common understanding of Youth Homelessness, a growing issue facing many communities including Westshore's. Colwood Rotary recognizes the importance of action and in doing so, will facilitate a process of educating ourselves about the issue and formulating an action plan collaboratively and proactively with youth and inclusively with interested Westshore's sectors of stakeholders. It's truly a Maureen Hobbs Mitzi Dean Bill McElroy Marc Muldoon blend of trusting the community process and maintaining a fortitude of Summary Notes 1 1

2 engaging ourselves to constantly move forward, says, President Hobbs. Mitzi Dean, Executive Director of Pacific Centre for Family Services, spoke about how Pacific Centre established in 1968 as a family and youth serving agency has served over 100,000 youth who come to the Centre because of its easy access, affordability and the quality of youth programs including several Regional conferences called Bright Ideas series. It was at one of the Bright Ideas Conferences that the Youth Homelessness continued to emerge as a key issue for youth. In fact, Bill McElroy at one of the conferences initiated a Task Force on Youth Homelessness. Mitzi spoke about out how Pacific Centre is now looking to future directions. Posing, What can we do to support youth next? She spoke about how Pacific Centre has purchased two acres in Colwood near the main headquarters of Pacific Centre and the many possibilities. Mitzi concluded with, we want to be talking to community about how to best utilize the land in support of youth and community. Bill McElroy, Youth Housing Activist, Past President of Habitat as well as having served on over 30 Boards is introduced by Jenn, Nursing Student Rotary Volunteer. Bill comes with broad foundation of community experience including married with two children, a retired Naval Officer, former teacher and counsellor. Bill was first drawn into the Youth Homelessness Issue because of its connection to the Sexual Exploitation Issue. Homelessness is an important issue in most communities and identified as an important issue in the Westshore for many years as seen in early articles in Goldstream Gazette. Major interest today in the issues of sexual exploitation because of the often statement lamented by youth, "... there is no where for us to go when we get kicked out." Bill started a task force on Youth Homelessness to learn that it was the fastest growing population demographic in North America. This knowledge commissioned two studies: 1. Needs Analysis 2. What models work in North America, then asked the question, Where do we get the money? Bill suggested that participants interested in the findings to read the Summary of Highlights of the Commissions. "...interested in gaining youth insight and community perspective...we've hosted several Regional conferences, Bright Ideas series and continue to increase communities' collective knowledge. Themes emerging include a focus on Pride in Community and better insight on the nature of housing needs." - Mitzi, Executive Director of Pacific Centre for Family Services Bill McElroy, Historical Landscape of Westshore's Youth Homelessness McElroy says, People said, we can not afford this although, there is a man in Victoria who says, I will build the house if someone signs a 5 year lease. There are many studies that speak about the growing issue of homelessness and there are just as many resources right here in our own communities to assist with this issue. 80% of youth do not sleep on streets they couch surf, in cars, camp out, Summary Notes 1 2

3 behind the power box, park benches, behind 7 Elevens. Common findings that every night there are 20 youth needing a place to sleep. Bill poses, It's very important to ask this key question: What PUSHES a child out of the house? Many things combine including the developmental age of adolescence and brain development with multiple dynamics of poverty, blended families, abuse and neglect, fetal alcohol... Some terrible places out there... "You are out!" Sexual orientation...caught smoking pot. Anybody know what at bachelor rents for? $850. Whereas housing support costs $375. Bill closed asking us, What are you going to do? Everyone here today brings real stories and experiences with youth who are homeless and the purpose of today was to create a common understanding of the issue and a momentum of actions next. Heather Ratcliffe Hood, Colwood Rotarian thanked Bill for sharing his wisdom and experience on Youth Homelessness and building our knowledge and understanding of what homelessness means. She welcomed next panel guest, Marc Muldoon, Executive Director of Threshold Housing Society in Victoria where Threshold provides housing for youth 16 to 24 years. Much appreciation to Marc for sharing his wisdom and experience about youth housing and to provide some direction as we move forward. Marc Muldoon, Executive Director of Threshold Housing Society, I like communities that reach out to the margin and seek ways to bring more people into the realm. I want to share a thought and then come back to it at the end. Recently, I found myself at Witty's Lagoon beach and noticed like many others, a seal pup that looked abandoned on the beach. I noticed how everyone around it on the worked hard to keep the area free from anyone getting too close to the pup. ROTARY'S FOUR-WAY TEST OF THE THINGS WE SAY AND DO: IS IT THE TRUTH? IS IT FAIR TO ALL CONCERNED? WILL IT BUILD GOODWILL AND BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? WILL IT BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL CONCERNED? The question, I continue to reflect upon, Who are our youth today? I worked in the criminal justice system and saw first hand the damage of institutionalization and observed how little it takes to sometimes make a The first step is to educate difference in someone's life. 40% of our youth are in the social system yourselves, the voters, community, politicians, businesses, parents. I and the year 2007 identified homelessness in a study as a key issue. 220 believe we can actually address this youth were identified as needing homes. Why is this an issue? It is truly a problem. Begin a campaign. Marc fallacy that adolescents are ready to take care of themselves by the age of Muldoon, Executive Director of 16. Often youth leave abusive home situations and end up without a safe Threshold Housing Society place to live. How about getting job? The Youth Unemployment rate is high and it's difficult to obtain jobs while homeless. There are many obstacles to seeking and maintaining employment while going to school when you are not in a secure home. The 2007 Urban Poverty Project and 2015 Youth Pathways in Homelessness study clearly identified these issues. Youth homelessness affects the quality of life and youth soon Summary Notes 1 3

4 become marginalized thus vulnerable life on the street. Everyone in this room appreciates going home. How would we feel without the security and comfort of our homes? There are no advocates for youth homelessness and this should bother us. Youth represent our future communities' potential. To not acknowledge this fact is a waste of our human resources. What advice might I offer You? You need to define very clearly what you want? Think about the focus of your work? There are several options to focus on but you need to decide what is needed first: Shelters or Transitional Housing or Permanent Support Housing The first step is to educate yourselves, the voters, community, politicians, businesses, parents. I believe we can actually address this problem. Begin a campaign. Find people on the margin who can be good spokes people and go with it. Marc concluded, Let me finish with the seal pup. Many people all ages and from all walks of life banded together on Witty's Beach toward a common purpose to keep the pup safe. Cell phones were used to call Wildlife which acted immediately to save the pup. Can we do anything less to look out for our youth? General Questions and Comments: Facilitated by Maureen Hobbs 1. Check out the Hope House in Sooke for youth housing (Ma'Kola Housing) model (Margot Swinburnson, Public Health Nurse and SD62 Trustee) 2. Need to look at the harm reduction model; youth have a lot of trauma and pain and this needs to be kept in mind (Paul Block, Principal of Adult and Alternate, SD62) 3. In respect to the piece of land owned by Pacific Family Centre, need to determine what type of youth home type are priorities on which to focus. There's a difference between a home and a roof over there heads; housing itself is the solution, the social engagement is the key aspect of success. (Vicki Grabbe) 4. Let's get on board and start now? (Joan Hoffman, Pastor) 5. So what is about the land? Pacific Centre would need to determine what focus? (Michael Wedekind, Colwood Rotary) 6. Work with the youth community, there are many youth already in need of housing; need all 3 models - Shelter, Transitional, and Permanent but need to pick one to start with; good models in Victoria (Rachel, Street, ISSP worker) Summary Notes 1 4

5 7. Housing is the vehicle to bring youth in but having a sense of belonging have to engage youth in addition to providing housing (Marc Muldoon) On that note, Maureen thanked all those for participating in the forum and those for helping to pull everything together specially the Nursing Students and Jeremy Clare for photography. CONTACT INFORMATION: Please contact Maureen Hobbs, President of Colwood Rotary at: maureen.brian@shaw.ca Summary Notes 1 5