Raising the Roof

			Our thanks to all who participated in this successful conference. Click here to learn more about our continuing work on solutions to youth homelessness. Overview In November 2008 Raising the Roof hosted a three–day national conference on youth homelessness. Partners Solving Youth Homelessness brought together key stakeholders as presenters and participants – service providers, policy experts, private sector representatives, government representatives and youth themselves. Hosted by Raising the Roof, in conjunction with the Youth Homelessness Conference Steering Committee (representing youth and youth–serving community agencies across Canada), the conference goals were to: Help identify how youth, agencies, researchers, corporations, government and others can work together to address the critical issue of youth homelessness; Bring diverse stakeholders together to exchange knowledge and develop plans for collective action on youth homelessness in Canada; Gather input into and endorsement of a Canada–wide plan to solve youth homelessness. A mix of celebrated keynote speakers, panel presentations, best practice workshops and 'open space' discussions kept interest and energy high and allowed for lots of delegate participation and networking. A panel of youth from across Canada shared their personal experiences of homelessness; their advice as to which services and supports are working well and what more is needed. Representatives from youth–serving agencies across the country came together on the Agency Panel to share their innovative responses to the needs of at–risk youth. Executives from four major organizations took part in a Corporate Panel, describing why and how they have stepped forward to support youth in need. Twenty–six agencies from across Canada shared information and insights on a wide range of topics. Most workshops were co-presented with a youth who had personal experience of the agency's services. (See conference program for complete list of workshops and speaker bios). Keynote Speakers The event program included keynote speakers Miloon Kothari, Former Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing for the United Nations Human Rights Council, Jamie Van Leeuwen, Project manager, Denver's Road Home Project, Denver, Colorado; and Toronto's Mayor, David Miller. (See conference program for presentation details and speaker bios). Carolannn Barr Bastien Beaucage Emily Butler Sean Gadon Kelly Holmes Jennifer Cooke Sandy Cooke Jeremy Johnson Russ Jones Miloon Kothari Sarah Lavallee Liz Sauter Janice Thompson Series 1B – Phoenix Youth Programs Series 1B – Shout Clinic Series 1C – Broadway Series 1C – Ndinawe Series 1D – Dans La Rue Series 1E – Youth at Promise Challenge Program Series 1F – Wood's Home Series 1G – Social Planning and Research Council Series 2A – Choices for Youth Series 2B – Dianova Canada Series 2C – Resource Assistance for Youth Series 2D – George Brown College Series 2E – Inner City Renovation Research Panel 1 – Élise Roy Research Panel 2 – Elizabeth Saewyc Research Panel 2 – Sean Kidd Research Panel 2 – Stephen Gaetz and Bill O'Grady Research Panel 3 – Stephen Baron Research Panel 3 – Valerie Tarasuk What Participants Said The human right to adequate housing is the right of every man, woman, youth and child. Miloon Kothari, Former Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing for the United National Human Rights Council Congratulations to you all on the work that you are doing and the work that you will continue to do. Jim Young, Director, Homelessness Partnering Secretariat, HRSDC Young people who have lived experience of homelessness can provide enormous insight. Jennie Vengris, Social Planner, Social Planning & Research Council of Hamilton ...We believe that it is the responsibility of corporate Canada to tackle social issues...to empower knowledge and opportunity...and to participate in partnerships that can and will find solutions to youth homelessness. Nelson Switzer, Director, Corporate Responsibility, Direct Energy There is a lack of involvement of the very people affected in policy making – that's why I welcome this event. Miloon Kothari, Former Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing for the United National Human Rights Council Ending homelessness is not about taking people off the streets, it's about helping homeless people live life off the streets. Jamie Van Leeuwan, Project Manager, Denver's Road Home Project, Denver, CO, USA We need to make the distinction between a 'hand up' and a 'hand out'. Nelson Switzer, Director, Corporate Responsibility, Direct Energy Not only can we work with one another, we have a responsibility to work with one another...There is too much desire and passion (here) not to do something with. Sheldon Pollett, Executive Director, Choices for Youth, St. John's Every time I looked for a resource I was turned away by some technicalities. Daniel, youth Youth are my teachers and yours. Street kids are society's messengers – but who is listening? Are you true to youth engagement in your own agency...ask yourself 'how do youth want to tell their stories?' Sandy Cooke, Vice–Chair, The Federation of BC Youth in Care It's ridiculous to think that we can't solve youth homelessness, but we have to have the right constituents at the table... Jamie Van Leeuwan, Project Manager, Denver's Road Home Project, Denver, CO, USA We have a funding climate that demands collaboration but does not foster it. You must partner with others and then compete with them for resources! Jennie Vengris, Social Planner, Social Planning & Research Council of Hamilton A lot of kids come out and get kicked out. Elizabeth Saewyc, Assoc. Professor, School of Nursing & Division of Adolescent Medicine, University of BC A lot of us have something to say – It doesn't make sense to invest in something for youth without involving them...We need to be asked... Natasha, youth Keeping people homeless is very expensive. If (as a country) we can't wrap our brains around the fact that solving youth homelessness is the right thing to do, then we need to do it because it makes economic sense. Jamie Van Leeuwan, Project Manager, Denver's Road Home Project, Denver, CO, USA We're not trying to manage homelessness – we're trying to end it. But housing is key...one of the big challenges of Toronto and other cities is the lack of a permanent, sustainable housing strategy. David Miller, Mayor of Toronto Youth Homelessness in Canada: The Road to Solutions The conference provided a perfect opportunity to engage a diverse group of stakeholders in discussion on a draft plan to solve youth homelessness. The draft paper drew upon the research and findings of Raising the Roof's national Youthworks initiative. Launched in January 2006, the initiative is aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness among young Canadians, and supporting them to build a better future The *Youthworks* Board of Advisors includes some of Canada's most respected experts on homelessness research and policy, urban and community studies, social development and service delivery. Youthworks tracked the experiences of 689 youth in three Canadian cities (St. John's, Calgary and Toronto) over a period of three years. By listening to the youth and their counselors and inviting feedback on the associated findings and observations from a total of 22 youth–serving agencies across Canada, Raising the Roof developed a picture of the 'lived experience' of homeless youth. Based on all of this work, a draft plan to solve youth homelessness was brought to the conference for further input from the event's 250+ delegates. The draft discussion paper included an overview of commonly understood triggers of youth homelessness; an outline of the major gaps in and barriers to services; examples of innovative best practices that have the potential to be adopted more broadly; and finally, some preliminary recommendations While the draft plan did not represent the circumstances and experiences of all homeless or at–risk youth across Canada, it provided a diverse and significant sampling on which to build. The conference delegates discussed and debated the content of the draft document and unanimously supported a Canada–wide response/commitment to solving youth homelessness. They contributed diverse perspectives and sage advice, much of which will be reflected in the final document. Please check back with us for an update on the document which will be released in the spring of 2009. Raising the Roof will share the final document and its recommendations with the conference delegates before taking it to key representatives from the federal government and national corporate sectors, with the goal of gaining their support in its implementation. It is our hope that the conference delegates, along with others committed to solving youth homelessness, will also use the document – in whole or in part, and with additional information specific your region or community – to engage key partners and stakeholders from their area of Canada in solutions to youth homelessness. Youth Homelessness Conference Steering Committee Carolann Barr,(Chair) Raising the Roof, Toronto, ON Tracy Arias,YMCA Peel Youth Village, Mississauga, ON Nicole Barkley, Youth Haven Barrie, ON June Breau-Nason, The Resource Centre for Youth, St. John, NB Bill Campbell, Kings Square Non-Profit housing Corporation, Charlottetown, PE Dr. Sharon Cirone, SHOUT, Toronto, ON Sue Cohen, SKETCH, Toronto, ON Jennifer Cooney, Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres, Toronto, ON Sarah Cunningham, City of Toronto, Streets to Homes, Toronto, ON Grant Foley, City of Toronto, Youth Employment Toronto, ON Sean Gadon, Raising the Roof, Toronto, ON Marlene Gorman, YWCA, Sudbury, ON Clovis Grant, Eva's Phoenix, Toronto, ON John Hartling, Community Action on Homelessness, Halifax, NS Loretta Hill-Finamore, The Good Shepherd Centres, Youth Services, Hamilton, ON Kelly Holmes, Resource Assistance for Youth, Winnipeg, MB Jeremy Johnson, Youth Representative, Burnaby, BC Monica Kolstein, Dans La Rue, Montréal, QC Cathy Manuel, Moncton Youth Residences, Inc., Moncton, NB Marie Muli, YOUTHLINK, Toronto, ON Kim Nagus, Street Outreach Services, Toronto, ON Sue Noga, Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness, Burnaby, BC Jennifer Parnell, Raising the Roof, Toronto, ON Jill Pitman, Youth Representative, St. John's, NL Sheldon Pollett, Choices for Youth, St. John's, NL Marsha Power-Slade, Hope Haven, Labrador City, NL Meghan Roberts, SKETCH, Toronto, ON Rudy Ruttimann, SKETCH, Toronto, ON Michelle Semonovitch, Community Mental Health Promotion, Hamilton, ON Denise Ummels, Youth Haven, Barrie, ON April Williams, The Back Door, Calgary, AB Youthworks – Board of Advisors Sean Gadon (Chair),Partnership Director, Affordable Housing Office, Metro Hall, Toronto, ON Geraldine Babcock,Supervisor, Youth Employment Programs Unit, Social Development, Finance and Administration, City of Toronto, ON Shirley Chau,Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of B.C., Okanagan J.T. (Jerry) Fest,Youth Development Consultant, Portland, OR (USA) Stephen Gaetz,Assoc. Dean, Research and Field Development, Faculty of Education, York University, ON Jocelyn Greene,Executive Director, Stella Burry Community Services, St. John's, NL Bill O'Grady,Associate Professor, Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph, ON David Hulchanski,Director, Centre for Urban and Community Studies, University of Toronto, ON Jeff Karabanow,Professor, School of Social Work, International Development Studies, School of Healthand Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS Conference Partners and Sponsors Urban Core Support Network Canadian Homelessness Research Network Canadian Labour Congress	Community initiatives are providing solutions. Read about them and how we are making an impact.