Mobilizing Local Capacity to End Youth
Homelessness In Canada Program
(MLC)
Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth
Charitable Registration Number: 13223 9013
RR0001
Why MLC?
• 20% of homeless in Canada are between 16-24
• Need for YOUTH SPECIFIC focus
•
Focus on TRANSITION to adulthood and well being
•
Re-framing role of Family/natural supports as solutions rather than
problem
• No coordinated nation-wide effort-network
• Organizations are operating in isolation
Why MLC?
• Paradigm shift from Responding to Ending youth
homelessness
• Upstream
• Eva’s Initiatives commitment to development of
innovative responses and long-term solutions
• Canada can learn from successes in other
countries to improve our approach to homelessness
Bold New Initiative…
… to significantly change course of youth homelessness in Canada
Innovative:
•National program grounded in communities
•Builds on community strengths
•Catalyst for change rather than prescribed
program. Flexible.
MLC Goals
• Local Communities Feel Well Supported
• Communities have Plans to Prevent, Reduce & End
Youth Homelessness
• YH on public agenda – awareness of issues
• YH on agenda of decision makers
• A system committed to Prevent, Reduce & End YH
• Measurable Reduction in YH.
Program Partners
• Eva’s Initiatives – National Initiatives Program
• National Learning Community on Youth
Homelessness (LC)
• Canadian Housing and Renewal Association
(CHRA)
• Catherine Donnelly Foundation (CDF)
• Canadian Homelessness Research Network
The Homeless Hub (research partner)
National Initiatives Program 2013
Outreach and
Support to
Organizations
Program Model
Inventory
Development of a national
inventory
Eva’s Awards
to End Youth
Homelessness
Learning
Community
Annual
Awards
Mental
Health
Application Process
Winner Selection
Local Award Events
Staff
Developme
nt
Network
Expanding the network
National Map
Promising Models
Online Forum
Toolkits
Community
Developmen
t
Support communities
to develop action
plans to prevent,
reduce and end youth
homelessness
National
Campaign
Network building
Inform policy
Membershi
p
Phoenix Model
Family Reconnect
Growing Green
YARD
Mental Health Training
Recruitment of new
members
Research
membership models
Revised: September 2013
Sustainabili
ty
Support
Information Requests
Tours
Mentorship
eBulletins
Eva’s Initiatives’ provides support
and advice to organizations and
community.
Snapshot
Backgrounder
Promising Models
Mobilizing Local
Capacity
Research funding
prospects
Our Awards Program recognizes
organizations that are focusing on
ending youth homelessness.
A collaborative forum working to
build capacity within the youth
serving sector and raise awareness
of youth homelessness in Canada.
The focus of the program is to
enhance the capacity of
communities to reduce, prevent and
end youth homelessness, while
Two Components
1. Intensive Work with Select Communities
2. National Movement to Prevent, Reduce
& End (PRE) Youth Homelessness
Program Length
•Program to run 2012 to 2017
•2012 – 2014 Pilot Years
•2014 Transitional Year
Community Component
1. Support the Development of Strategic Community
Plans to Prevent, Reduce & End Youth Homelessness.
2. Support the Implementation & sustainability of
Strategic Community Plans to Prevent, Reduce & End
Youth Homelessness.
For 2014!!!!
3. Additional Catalyst Component - Less intensive
support for more communities across Canada. (e.g.
share tools and resources as developed)
For 2014 !!!
Current MLC Communities
• Add 2 small/medium sized communities per year – geographic
representation
• Year 1 – Kamloops BC, Kingston ON
• Year 2 – Saint John NB, Wellington County (rural plan)
• Year 3 – TBD Spring 2014
• Solutions based on:
Local needs, strengths, innovation & collective vision for ending youth
homelessness
National and International research and promising practices
Coming of Age
• Support from Homeless Hub since early 2013
• Findings from report – access early, began to build into our
process
• ‘Coming of Age’:
• Provided framework and a ‘menu’ for communities to begin to think
about what elements could be included in plan.
• Break down into manageable pieces – E.g. Prevention, Early
Intervention, Shelter Diversion, System of Care etc
• Provides a common language to talk about and plan strategies
• Big Benefit!!!! - Provides descriptions and contacts for examples of
what works from around the world. E.g. Host Homes – Minnesota,
UK or Family Reconnect – Eva’s, CBGC, Australia
What Happened
•Paradigm shifts
• Adolescent development – transition to adulthood and wellbeing.
• Families/natural supports & education system part of solutions
•Communities adopted Systems + Prevention lens.
•Increased capacity for community-based Research - PIT
Counts, Focus groups.
•Community Awareness of Issues
•Diverse stakeholders to work together for first time or
to work together in new ways
•First two community plans to be released spring
of 2014, two more Fall 2014
What Surprised Us
•Youth engagement – became focus for
community:
• Public engagement occurred earlier than expected
• Youth brought creativity and energy
Examples
•YAHh Kamloops– media – regular & social, Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1F-YFBeWmo
public events.
•YOL Kingston – wrist band “Youth Homelessness –
Admit it Exists”, Community Forum – Mayor
Challenges
• Systems Integration – community plans but prov/fed
ministries impact pathways into homelessness for youth
• Child Welfare, Criminal justice, Health/Mental
Health, Social Services
• YH -Fusion Policy Issue – Complexity requires more time to get
it right – worth it to take time with the process
• Community resource alignment - challenge to align the
communities funders and resources around plans
National Movement to End YH
Cultivating a national alliance of
stakeholders across sectors to mobilize
for systems alignment & policy change
• Youth Homelessness on agenda of decision makers
• Youth Homelessness on public agenda
• Working to align interested funders with our national
vision to Prevent, Reduce & End youth homelessness
Contact Information
http://www.evasinitiatives.com
• National Learning Community on Youth Homelessness
• Mobilizing Local Capacity to End Youth Homelessness
Program
National Community Development Coordinator
Mary-Jane McKitterick mjmckitterick@evas.ca 416) 364-4716
Director, Eva’s National Initiatives Program
Melanie Redman mredman@evas.ca 416-364-4716