Homeless Youth

1. Homeless Youth

2. Homelessness Definition • Having no fixed place to sleep at night

3. Definitions of the Homeless • Absolutely homeless: individuals and families who sleep in outdoor or indoor places not intended for human habitation (street, parks, abandoned buildings) • Lacking permanent housing: staying in temporary accommodations (emergency shelters, treatment programs, with family) • At risk of homelessness: individuals and families whose current housing is unaffordable for them, unsafe, or inappropriate – may require supports to maintain appropriate housing

4. Degree of Homelessness • One-time homelessness: the result of an unexpected event ( employment loss, eviction, family breakdown • Episodic: periods of housing stability interspersed with periods of housing instability and homelessness • Chronic: a person who has spent more than 60 cummulative nights in the past year in an emergency shelter and has reach the point where he/she lacks the physical or mental health, skills or income to access and to mainatin housing

5. Chronic Homelessness • Chronic: a person who has spent more than 60 cumulative nights in the past year in an emergency shelter and/or on the street and has reach the point where he/she lacks the physical or mental health, skills or income to access and to maintain housing

6. Causes of Homelessness • Mental Health Issues: between 30 and 67% of homeless people have some kind of mental illness • Addiction and Substance Abuse Issues: there is a larger number of homeless people with addictive disorders, however most drug and alcohol abusers don’t become homeless • It is those people with low incomes and these disorders that may find themselves homeless

7. Violence against youth: particularly against girls and young women • Most homeless youth have histories of family instability, conflict and abuse • More young women then men have experienced sexual and physical abuse within their own families • Domestic abuse: many individuals using emergency shelters are fleeing domestic violence

8. Youth • Disruptive family conditions • Life on the street seems like a better alternative • Physical, psychological sexual abuse, abandonment or neglect • Marriage breakdown – youth not wanted (remember George?)

9. Residential instability • Over 50 000 young Canadians run away from home each year • Over 90% return home within 60 days, but the remaining 10% become homeless

10. Financial crisis: • Leave home to work and live independently but then unable to return home after the loss of a job etc

11. What Happens? • Youth live day to day – unable to develop plans for their lives • Education is often disrupted – the prospect of returning to school difficult • Homeless youth find themselves engaging in risky lifestyles, just to ‘get by’ • This includes drug dealing, prostitution • Their own health is compromised – many become drug users themselves, HIV rates are higher, sexually transmitted disease rate high

12. According to doctors in Montreal: street youth have a mortality rate 13 times higher than other youth • High rate of drug use is a coping strategy for dealing with the pain in their lives

13. How Many in Ottawa? • It is very difficult to find an exact number, However: • In 2007: • Emergency shelters accommodated 7,573 people, including: • 3,861 single men • 1,173 single women • 505 youths • 639 families ( 797 adults and 1,237 children) • (Source: Community action Plan on Homelessness)

14. What’s to be done? • This is a very complicated issue • There is no ‘magic’ bullet that can solve the issues • A multi-organization approach must be taken • Both for services for people who are currently homeless and for the prevention of other people • Within the city of Ottawa ( show continuum of housing and support services)

15. Homework • Read pg 150/151 and make notes on how the theoretical perspectives discuss the reasons for homelessness • Read the point of view article on pg 148/149 and answer questions on pg. 149 • Answer question #4 on page 156