With hundreds of young people across Ottawa in crisis, United Way East Ontario is announcing significant investments in three local agencies to create a spectrum of support that will help prevent youth homelessness.
Thanks to incredible donor support, we are proud to announce $400,000 over the next two years to be invested in the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition, Operation Come Home, and Youth Services Bureau.
Additional support for marginalized youth
As youth from marginalized groups continue to be disproportionately affected by homelessness, we are working with the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition to determine how to best support local Indigenous youth in their own healing journeys. The aim is to bring them a sense of belonging and connection within their communities that will last for the rest of their lives.
Our investment will help Indigenous youth develop relationships with local elders, as well as trusted peers and adults. Together, we will foster an environment where they can embrace community support and healing, led by Indigenous worldviews and cultural practices.
“The Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition appreciates the work that United Way has done to understand urban Indigenous priorities and work with us as partners. A key priority for the OAC has been to respond to the Indigenous homelessness crisis in our city. The 2024 Point in Time count reinforced that Indigenous people are disproportionately represented in our homeless population in Ottawa. Significantly, 14% Indigenous youth who are aging out of child welfare are homeless within a day.”
Keeping youth from reaching a crisis point
We are partnering with Operation Come Home to help young people restore positive connections within their schools, their communities, and their families. Our goal is to keep them from reaching a crisis point and experiencing the trauma of homelessness.
“United Way is taking a lead role in ending youth homelessness in Ottawa, by focusing on prevention and early intervention. This will reduce demands on our system while keeping youth safe, and on track to graduate high school. This is visionary work and will provide lasting benefit for the entire homelessness system for years to come.”
Ensuring support for young people post-crisis
We are collaborating with the Youth Services Bureau to keep youth who have reached the shelter system from becoming homeless adults.
Every young person’s homelessness journey is different. This investment will help local youths identify where they have potential to develop life-long, non-institutional relationships. This relationship building is critical, post-crisis, to keep them from experiencing homelessness later in life.
“YSB Is excited to have the support of United Way East Ontario to embed this meaningful, evidence-based approach within our youth shelters. Investing in family and natural supports is an essential part of preventing and ending youth homelessness in our city, ensuring that young people leave shelter with stronger connections, greater stability, and the relationships they need to thrive into adulthood.”
Community-wide action
Together, as part of a growing movement behind Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s pledge to end youth homelessness by 2030, we are creating lasting solutions and ensuring every young person has a place to call home.
“Every young person deserves a safe place to call home and the opportunity to build a bright future. Preventing youth homelessness means stepping in before a crisis happens, with the right supports at the right time. I'm grateful to United Way East Ontario and all of our community partners for this important investment, which will help more young people stay housed, connected, and hopeful. Together, we're making real progress toward our goal of ending youth homelessness in Ottawa by 2030.”
Our promise
This new partnership represents exactly what United Way committed to providing local at-risk youth when we pledged to raise an additional 1 million over the next five years to end youth homelessness:
- Wrap-around supports to help young people build a more stable life—like mental health counselling, education, and life and work skills programs.
- Support building positive connections with family, friends, schools, and communities, so youth have a safety net that lasts.
- Resources to help young people attain, advocate for, and maintain housing and food.
“We chose these three partners because each brings unique expertise and reaches young people at different points in their journey. Together, we are creating a stronger network of support that can prevent youth homelessness before it starts and help young people find stability when they need it most. This is how we build lasting solutions. Today’s investment is another step toward ensuring more youth in our city and across our region have the support they need to build a brighter future.”
At United Way, we work to tackle the toughest problems our communities face. No single organization can solve this issue alone, and that is why we are investing in programs, collaborations, and initiatives that prevent youth homelessness.
For more on how United Way tackles youth homelessness and how you can help, visit unitedwayeo.ca.
