One of the biggest challenges for at-risk youth is something that many of us take for granted, having a place to stay at the end of the day. A new project that recently opened will provide home for young people in the city who need a home in order to get back on track.
The goal with the project is to give students stability explains George Cote, Manager of Yorkton Parkland Housing. The units, on Maple Ave, will provide transitional housing to youth ages 16 to 21, as they complete school and work placement programs. Students will also have supervision as they live in the house.
“We decided to provide a safe environment where they can have a place to live so they can get their schooling done, get their work done, and create a better future for themselves.”
Four students will be moving into the duplex, two male and two female. They will also pay rent on the unit, which Cote explains was done to give a sense of responsibility when it comes to their home.
Yorkton Parkland Housing received $338,000 through the Provincial Metis Housing Corporation to support the construction of the project. That funding is part of the $5.8 million the Provincial Metis Housing Corporation is receiving over five years through the federal Homelessness Partnering Strategy, a program designed to combat homelessness across Canada through different local initiatives.
The Christ the Teacher School Division is another partner on the project, and Cote explains that part of the impetus to get it built came from needs identified through the Dreambuilders program. Transiency among students was identified as a major barrier for their advancement through the program, and Cote says that the project began as a way to remove that barrier for students who were trying to build the life.
“They are couch surfing or staying with friends, so they’re finding it hard to finish school or keep employment if they’re working. Our dream was to have a home for them where they can adjust their lifestyle and be safe. Have the ability to finish of their schooling.”
For some students, the house is more than a place to stay, as the construction also served as work placement for Dreambuilders.
“It gives them a sense of pride knowing they had hands-on experience building a house they might be living in. It uplifts them too to get work experience, gives them an opportunity to figure out where they want to go in life, a trade or any other profession they desire.”
Cote says this is just the beginning, and they hope to build more projects like this one in the future.
