Attachment is Key: A look at preventing youth homelessness

Homelessness is complex and traumatic, especially for youth. Youth homelessness often leads to a lifetime of chronic and precarious housing situations. Once someone is homeless, survival becomes the top priority and often youth experiencing homelessness are forced to do things they would never have dreamed they would do. Youth are especially vulnerable to life on the streets and their path to it is never direct. ‘So, what if we can prevent it from happening in the first place?’ That was the nagging question for Mike Lethby, Executive Director of The RAFT from the beginning.

“These are not drop-outs and addicts who then become homeless. These are kids who became homeless, were forced to leave their communities and their school and experienced trauma as a result.”

“Our shelter was always full. We were seeing about 500 youth every year, we were just going through the motions, providing shelter and always at capacity,” Lethby said. “So we looked hard at who was showing up and why.”

One factor of youth homelessness

They realized that attachment, or lack thereof, was a major factor in youth homelessness. “These are not drop-outs and addicts who then become homeless. These are kids who became homeless, were forced to leave their communities and their school and experienced trauma as a result. It could be an argument with a caregiver that gets out of hand that sets a person on the path to leaving home. Our top priority is repairing that bond and reconnecting youth with family, through counselling or family mediation, then we focus on re-engaging with school. Once those are addressed, we can support that youth until their housing situation stabilizes – preventing that trauma and homelessness in the first place,” said Lethby.

“It could be an argument with a caregiver that gets out of hand that sets a person on the path to leaving home. Our top priority is repairing that bond and reconnecting youth with family, through counselling or family mediation, then we focus on re-engaging with school.”

How the program works

The RAFT works with close to 250 youth in their home communities across Niagara each year through its Youth Reconnect Program, diverting about 85% of them from ever entering the shelter. “The largest provider of affordable housing is home with family. It’s all about relationships, social connections, and addressing issues before they hit their breaking point,” noted Lethby. “So we are laser focused on repairing those connections first. We know that some family bonds are beyond repair, and leaving home may be the only option. The RAFT still provides critical in-shelter supports to youth who have nowhere else to turn.”

The RAFT focuses on preventing youth homelessness by strengthening the bonds of attachment to home, school and community. When leaving home cannot be prevented, the average shelter stay is just 11 days, meaning that youth can secure safe, affordable housing very quickly. “We are able to get them into housing so quickly because we aren’t looking for 30 apartments at a time anymore, maybe one or two,” said Lethby.

Your generous support allows United Way to continue to invest in vital programs supporting vulnerable youth in Niagara. Together, we can prevent youth homelessness.