Youth housing advocates are disappointed a West Shore project fell through because they could not get operational funding from the provincial government.
“This might be a tragedy of timing but it really is a lost opportunity,” said Mark Muldoon, executive director of Threshold Housing Society, which operates four houses in and around Victoria for youth in care.
“There is a serious need for transitional housing for youth, generally aged 13 to 24 years, in the West Shore. Right now, their only choice is to leave their neighbourhoods and try to access services in Victoria.”
Threshold was approached this year by the Greater Victoria Housing Society to partner in building a 10-bed transitional housing facility for at-risk youth at its new 100-unit affordable housing project at 330 Goldstream Ave.
But Threshold needed a $500,000 a year operational funding commitment from the provincial government for the facility by November.
Muldoon said he could not secure a meeting with anyone from the Ministry of Children and Family Development, but was told in a letter they would not receive funding and the government was focusing on housing and supports for the youth they currently serve.
“This would have been an ideal location, next to a transit hub and the ministry offices,” Muldoon said. He thinks the timeline was too short for the new government.
Muldoon said finding housing for youth in care, particularly those with mental health and behavioural challenges, is difficult. Victoria has a less than one per cent rental vacancy rate and there is an urgent need for foster homes.
“Many of the youth we’ve had at Threshold have come from the West Shore and, every day, had to bus back and forth to work and school,” Muldoon said.
“This is something the community really has to cry out for, to have these services there.”
Muldoon said this project was just the latest attempt to secure emergency youth housing in the West Shore. His organization has wanted to expand services there since 2012.
He said they looked at buying homes but couldn’t find any suitable to convert into communal housing in areas near transit and amenities.
Bill McElroy, executive director of the Westshore Youth Housing Task Force, said he was also disappointed the project fell through.
His group has worked with Threshold for five years to try to secure emergency and transition housing for youth at-risk in the area.
“I recall meeting a young woman, a kid really, at a conference who said: ‘When we get kicked out a night, there’s nowhere to go,’” McElroy said.
“What we need is a safe place for kids to go when there’s a conflict at home and they have to leave.”
He said he has heard from youth that if they have to leave home at night, their choice is to hitchhike or bus to Victoria and take a chance on getting into a shelter.
“But the last bus is at midnight. Many will hang around, sleep in a tent or a parkade or go to the 24-hour Mac’s until school starts,” he said.
“It’s frustrating.”
