STREET INVOLVED AND HOMELESS YOUTH

Research Highlights

• Over half of all street-involved youth had been forced to leave home.
• Among Canadian street-involved youth, 47% report having been physically assaulted by a family member.
• Street-involved youth have a 13% higher mortality rate than other youth.
• Nearly 50% of homeless female youth report having had one or more pregnancies.
• And in Guelph & Wellington…
  • There are approximately 150-200 homeless youth in Guelph and Wellington County.
  • Mentally ill youth are more likely to be street-involved now than even a few years ago. 

Street-Involved and Homeless Youth
On any given night in Canada, an estimated 8,000 to 11,000 youth are homeless¹.  Youth are homeless for any number of reasons.  Many have been victims of physical or sexual abuse, are suffering from mental health and/or substance abuse issues, have been unable to maintain their housing or employment, and do not have the education or skills required to succeed.  Few feel they have anywhere else to go.  A recent study found that over half of the street-involved youth surveyed had been forced to leave home². 
 
Characteristics of Street-Involved Youth
A study conducted by Operation Go Home in Ottawa found that a large proportion of street-involved and homeless youth engaged in self-destructive and potentially fatal behaviours.  Only 5% of youth reported that they had graduated from high school.  Most identified grade eight as their last completed year in school³.

Self-identified characteristics of street-involved youth in Ottawa (2006).

Prevalence
There is no accurate means of measuring the numbers of street-involved and homeless youth.  Many youth who are homeless live with friends and do not necessarily use social service resources.
 
Street-Involved Youth in Guelph & Wellington
The 2002 Community Plan to Address Homelessness in Guelph-Wellington estimates there are 150-200 homeless youth in Guelph in an average month⁴. In 2005 over 200 youth accessed the shelter services at Change Now. In addition, 94 youth relied on the shelter services at Wyndham House. Apart from the shelter services, there were 11,036 youth visits to the Drop-In Centre at Change Now in 2005. There has been an increase in the numbers of young people who are looking for support services in the community, although it is difficult to determine if there are more youth in need or if the services are better known than they were in the past.

Effects of Homelessness on Youth
Social Isolation
Having no fixed address means being exiled from the mainstream patterns of day-to-day life⁵. People with no place to live are the most completely excluded group of people in society.  Young people without housing often find themselves unable to succeed in school, which may lead to failure or dropout. They have difficulty accessing medical, dental or mental health services. The majority suffer from depression and other debilitating mental health problems. And they are marginalized in every aspect of their lives. 

Health Problems
Homelessness is associated with exposure to the elements and an increased risk of infections like tuberculosis and HIV⁶.  Poor diet, stress, cold and damp, along with inadequate sanitation all increase the risk of health problems. 
 
People without housing often face considerable barriers when attempting to access mainstream health care services.  As a result, many street-involved youth self-medicate in order to relieve some of the symptoms of their mental or physical illnesses.  Substance abuse subsequently becomes an additional barrier to becoming housed and successfully employed.  The combination of these factors results in street-involved youth having a 13% higher mortality rate than other youth⁷.
 
Mental Health
The onset of most mental health issues occurs during adolescence.  Street-involved youth are often not personally equipped to effectively cope with mental illness.  According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, “receiving and complying with effective treatment and having the security of strong social supports, adequate income, housing and educational opportunities” are essential elements in minimizing the impact of mental illness⁸.  Most, if not all, of these factors are missing in the lives of street-involved and homeless youth. 
 
Even milder, undiagnosed mental illnesses can make it difficult to succeed in society, and substance abuse can influence the onset, course and duration of mental illness.  At the level of the individual, factors such as secure attachment, good parenting, friendship and social support, meaningful employment and social roles, adequate income, physical activity and an internal locus of control will strengthen mental health and, indirectly, reduce the impact or incidence of some mental health problems⁹.  In other words, the factors leading to stable mental health are precisely those most likely to be absent from the lives of street-involved youth.

The mental health and substance abuse issues that street-involved youth are coping with are much more pervasive than in the past.  Youth service providers in Guelph have noticed an increase in the numbers of young people who present with severe and potentially debilitating mental health problems.  It has also been noted that some form of mental illness is present in nearly all of the youth they serve.  Most available mental health services are geared to either children or adults and do not consider the unique and specific needs of street-involved youth.

Female Street-Involved Youth
Female street-involved youth are particularly at-risk.  The prevalence of youth pregnancy in the general population is under 10%.  However, for homeless youths that number is closer to 50%, with a much larger proportion reporting having had multiple pregnancies¹⁰.  A combination of factors contribute to this, including a lack of knowledge of sexual health practices, feeling the need to be aligned with a male to stay safe, and rape.
 
Most female youth claim to have left home because they were living in abusive situations.  One study found that 91% of homeless women reported having been battered at some point in their lives, while 42% of long-term homeless women reported a battery incident within the last 12 months¹¹.  Despite the risk of violence and abuse, most female youth declared that they are abused less frequently on the street than they had been at home.
 
Education
As mentioned earlier, only 5% of street-involved youth reported having completed high school.  A lack of formal schooling limits the employment and earning potential of youth.  In a sample of youth, it was found that those with the least education were more likely to be involved in less stable or illegal economic activities, such as the drug trade or prostitution¹².
 
Employment
In a Toronto study, street youth participants noted that a lack of services to assist with difficulties regarding contacting and being contacted by employers, preparing résumés, and getting to work on time in clean clothes makes gainful employment difficult to obtain¹³.  The researchers found that the ability of these youth to join the formal economy was influenced by the youth’s abilities and aspects of their lifestyle, history, and social relationships.
 
Community Support Services
There are several service providers in the Guelph and Wellington area which aim to house, educate, nourish and otherwise strengthen and support street-involved youth.  The following list provides a brief synopsis of the services they offer.
 
Change Now Youth Drop-In & Resource Centre
Services include access to showers, laundry facilities, a music room, gym-based recreational programming, expanded Life-Skills Groups, a food program, and a Youth Overnight Emergency Shelter Program. The shelter is available to youth age 16 to 21, for a maximum period of 56 of 84 days, while the Drop In Centre resources are free for anyone age 13 to 24.
 
Distress Centre Wellington Dufferin – Youth Support Line
The line provides supportive listening and general referral information to young people who need to talk to someone with a non-judgemental open mind.  This service provides the initial point of access for the Crisis Intervention System.
 
Give Yourself Credit
Provides vulnerable youth, aged 16-18, the opportunity to obtain high school credits in a community setting.  The target audience is youth who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness, have personal circumstances that restrict them from attending high school (e.g. pregnancy, bullying, etc.), have experienced halted success in school, or the regular school system has not been successful in providing a program to meet their needs.
 
Guelph Community Health Centre - Nurse Practitioner
A Nurse Practitioner operates a weekly clinic at Change Now in order to allow youth access to health care services.  Approximately 12 youth visit the clinic every week (600 per year) and receive services such as physical exams, pap tests, wound dressings, splinting, assessments, diagnosis, treatments, medications, referrals and support.  The youth get support and education around many health issues, i.e. healthy sexuality, birth control, pregnancy, self care and mental health care.  Youth do not require a health card in order to access services and can often receive required medications without cost.
 
Homewood Community Addiction Services
Homewood Community Addiction Services (CADS) is a community outpatient program that provides a wide range of services for individuals struggling with addiction issues.  A Young Peoples Family Program is offered for youth aged 12 - 18 who have grown up in a chemically dependent family.  CADS services are also offered at all high schools in Guelph and Wellington County and two schools in Dufferin County.
 
Michael House Pregnancy Care Centre
Michael House is a short-term home in Guelph for young women who need housing and support during their pregnancy.  Michael House can house up to four women and their newborns (up to 3 months of age) in comfort and relative privacy.  Nurturing and life skills are taught by qualified staff who provide 24-hour supervision. 
 
Portage Ontario
Portage Ontario is located in Elora and provides long-term residential treatment for substance abusing young offenders.  The program is open to youth of both sexes, aged 14 to 21 years, and has 42 beds available.  There are a number of phases incorporated in the program.  The first phase is the residential phase, which usually lasts 6 to 8 months.  Portage has a transition and re-entry component as well, in order to provide the supports that the youth will need upon leaving the residence.  The transition phase is a 12-week program, and the re-entry phase could last as long as 8 months.
 
Ramoth Life Centre
Ramoth House is a co-operative living residence available to up to ten young women aged 16-28 in Mount Forest and the surrounding areas.  Their services are directed to young women who need support during pregnancy as well as young mothers and their infants who are seeking support while learning parenting skills.  These include pregnancy testing, support and referrals for healthy parenting, adoption referrals and support, and maternity and baby clothes. 
 
Second Chance Employment Counselling – Youth Resource Centre
Second Chance Employment Counselling provides access to a variety of resources and services to assist youth and adults in conducting successful career and job searches.  Second Chance also runs an After School Program available for youth aged 13 to 24.  It provides access to community information, special events, skill building workshops, movie night, discussion and pizza night, young women’s book club, homework assistance, and computers and games.  The centre also operates a Youth Entrepreneurship Program that aims to assist youth in starting their own business.
 
Wyndham House
Wyndham House operates two cooperative living homes for at-risk youth in the City of Guelph, one for men and one for women, aged 16 to 21.  The residents must be enrolled in full time educational programs in order to receive funding and remain in the residence.  There is no limit to how long residents may stay at Wyndham House, so long as they are within the appropriate age range and are still attending school.
 
Wyndham House also runs an Emergency Bed Program for young men and women.   It offers shelter to youth aged 16 to 21 years for a period lasting no more than 14 days.  A Youth Support Team provides support and guidance until other life plans can be established.   
 
YMCA-YWCA – Teen Age Parents Program (TAPPS)
This program provides support, information and resources to pregnant and parenting teens in Guelph.  Several groups are run each week and free childcare is provided.  These groups include: New Mom’s Group, Young Dad’s Drop-In Group, Homework Group for moms and dads and Supper Group for moms and dads who want to learn to prepare nutritious, economical meals.
 
* Of the above mentioned programs, the United Way of Guelph & Wellington funds and supports Change Now, the Distress Centre, Give Yourself Credit, Michael House, Second Chance, Wyndham House & the YMCA/YWCA’s TAPPS.
 
What are the social service needs in Guelph & Wellington?
Mental Health
Mentally ill youth are more likely to be street-involved now than even a few years ago.  There are several factors that may be contributing to this change.  First of all, changes to the Youth Criminal Justice Act mean that youth may no longer be placed in custody in order to receive psychiatric care.  While this change has meant that young people are no longer being held against their will because they are mentally ill, it also means that those criminally-involved youth are no longer receiving treatment to minimize the effects of their various mental disorders.  Also, the trend over the last two decades to remove the mentally ill population from institutional care has not been accompanied by enough social support services that would allow people to function independently in society.  Finally, the steady growth of the illegal drug trade in Guelph means that young people are more easily able to access those substances that have the potential to trigger or worsen mental health problems.
 
There are only two emergency mental health beds for youth in all of Guelph, Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo.  Therefore, many young people suffering from a mental episode must look to hospital emergency rooms for service, which is often inappropriate and/or inaccessible.
 
Street-Involved Youth and the Criminal Justice System
The changes to the Youth Criminal Justice Act have reduced the likelihood of young offenders appearing in court for relatively minor crimes.  In Canada, the number of young people being charged and brought to court dropped by 17%¹⁴.  However, the number of youth who were given a warning, caution, referral to community program or no action increased by 30%.  In Guelph, there was little change in the types of encounters between young people and police, however the number of police-youth contacts increased by 59% from 2003 to 2004¹⁵.
 
Societal Stigmas
There is a lack of community awareness and understanding about street-involved and at-risk youth.  Societal attitudes toward youth and poverty in general can be negative, and there is a perceived stigma attached to accessing social supports.  These stigmas can create barriers for young people hoping to access mainstream schooling, employment services, and health care.
 
Affordable and Supportive Housing
Within the shelter system, there is a lack of long-term placements for youth.  For youth preparing to make the transition into independent living, there is a lack of supports to help them remain housed.  The shortage of affordable housing makes it difficult for youth to obtain and maintain housing.  Youth need access to stable housing that also connects them to appropriate services and offers some supports.
 
Education
Education is often not a top priority for street-involved youth.  Many have pressing mental health, substance abuse, family, legal and personal issues that must be resolved before schooling can be considered.  Stigmatization can make it difficult for street-involved youth to participate in regular schools. 
 
The recent introduction of the Give Yourself Credit program is beginning to address this issue.  As a community-centred educational program, Give Yourself Credit allows street-involved youth to learn at their own pace without fear of judgement.

1. Covenant House (2004).  Facts and Stats about Youth Homelessness.  Retrieved May 13, 2006, from http://www.covenanthouse.on.ca/web/facts_and_stats.html.
2. Sidney, T. (2006).  Ottawa Street-involved Youth Study – Highlights 2006.  Retrieved July 17, 2006, from http://www.operationgohome.ca/PDF/Ottawa%20Street-Involved%20Youth%20Study%202006.pdf.
3. Ibid.
4. Wellington and Guelph Housing Committee (2003).  Community Plan to Address Homelessness in Guelph-Wellington – 2003 Update.  Guelph, Ontario: Wellington and Guelph Housing Committee.
5. Hulchanski, D. (n.d.).  What is Homelessness?  Retrieved May 13, 2006, from www.raisingtheroof.org/lrn-home-QandA-index.cfm#1.
6. Ibid.
7. University of Ottawa (2003).  Delivering Healthcare to the Homeless: Youth Factsheet.  Retrieved June 14, 2006, from http://www.med.uottawa.ca/homeless/youth/youth_factsheet_e.html.
8. Health Canada (2002).  A Report on Mental Illness in Canada.  Ottawa, Ontario: Health Canada.
9. Ibid.
10. University of Ottawa (2003).  Delivering Healthcare to the Homeless: Youth Factsheet.  Retrieved June 14, 2006, from http://www.med.uottawa.ca/homeless/youth/youth_factsheet_e.html.
11. University of Ottawa (2003).  Delivering Healthcare to the Homeless: Women Factsheet.  Retrieved June 14, 2006, from http://www.med.uottawa.ca/homeless/women/women_factsheet_e.html.
12. Josephson, G.J. (2004).  Relating Homelessness to Education, Employment, and Income Support: A Review of Canadian Literature.  Vol. 7, no. 2, Review.  Ottawa, Ontario:  Policy Research Initiative.
13. Ibid.
14. Statistics Canada (2005).  Youth Court Statistics.  The Daily, Friday June 24.  Ottawa, Ontario: Statistics Canada – Catalogue N. 11-001-XIE.
15. Guelph Police Service (2004).  Achieving the Vision: Annual Report 2004.  Guelph, Ontario: Guelph Police Services.