Homelessness Partnering Strategy

Melanie Redman Executive Director A Way Home

Stephen Gaetz Director Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Professor, Faculty of Education, York University

Ending Youth Homelessness National Conference 2016

Housing First for youth in Europe

A HUMAN RIGHTS Approach

Part 1 Understanding Housing First for Youth

1. Immediate access to housing with no preconditions.

2. Youth choice and self determination.

3. Positive youth development orientation.

4. Individualized and client-driven supports.

5. Social and community integration.

CORE PRINCIPLES

What kind of HOUSING is needed?

Youth need different Housing Options

SUPPORTS

Housing First Framework

Part 2 A Human Rights-Based Approach?

“Too often being homeless is considered a personal and moral failing, when it’s actually a structural and political problem”. Leilani Farha, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing

“Too often being homeless is considered a personal and moral failing, when it’s actually a structural and political problem”. Leilani Farha, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing

Why is a human rights

approach important?

• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)

• Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

All human rights apply to youth, however the ones listed below are the most relevant:

Economic and Social Rights Civil and Political Rights Right to an adequate standard of living Freedom of expression

Right to housing Right to life

Right to food Right of access to justice

Right to work Freedom of assembly

Right to education Right to personal security

Right to health & privacy

Right to freedom from discrimination & right to equality

These are your RIGHTS!

Part 3

Putting

Rights to

Work!

Find a common

definition 1

“Youth homelessness” refers to the situation and experience of young people between the ages of 13 and 24 who are living independently of parents and/or caregivers, but do not have the means or ability to acquire a stable, safe or consistent residence.

Measuring youth

homelessness 2

Refer to Human Rights

in your strategy 3

Human Rights Training 4

Include youth in the

process 5

Set goals 6

Make the strategy a

budget priority 7

Monitor and Report on

Progress 8

Release date: Thursday, June 9