Construction begins on affordable housing units for young people in Saint John

Initiative fights youth homelessness in Saint John A new initiative is aiming to help young people facing homelessness in Saint John, N.B.

Work is underway in Saint John’s north end on an affordable housing project for young people ages 19 to 25.

Centre for Youth Care is trying to raise $1 million for the $2 million project, which includes nine bachelor apartments on Thornbrough Street.

Karen Cummings, executive director of Centre for Youth Care, says the apartments should be available by next summer.

“A youth who is homeless becomes an adult who is homeless,” says Cummings. “We cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening in our community, any longer.”

“Youth are particularly vulnerable because they experience housing insecurity a little bit differently. They’re often unable to afford market rents because they’re just entering the workforce or exploring educational opportunities.”

According to the Human Development Council, Saint John’s child poverty rate is 27.3 per cent (compared to the provincial rate of 18.7 per cent).

“The youth in Saint John are incredibly vulnerable. They are at risk of experiencing this housing crisis in a way that’s different from our counterparts across the province,” says Cummings.

The nine bachelor apartments will include on-site and after-hours services. Tenants will pay no more than 30 per cent of their monthly income on rent.

Cummings says the location of the new housing project was purposely placed away from the city’s uptown, at the request of clients.

“We work really closely with the youth we serve. They’ve communicated to us that they feel more comfortable receiving services in priority neighbourhoods but not in the uptown area. They want access to these areas to get services, but they would like to be removed.”

Community information meetings were also held in the Thornbrough Street area.

“We certainly did have some neighbours approach us with concerns,” says Cummings. “We are going to be on-site here offering case management services, outreach services, building those tenancy skills, building education and employment skills. The fact that we are (an) on-site, hands-on agency really eased their minds.”

Amber Martin is a past client of Centre for Youth Care and says the on-site supports are key to helping others.

“We’re kind of transitioning from youth to adulthood and trying to figure out life from there,” says Martin. “We still need that help.”

In January, the New Brunswick government passed new legislation increasing the age of services under the Child and Youth Well-Being Act from 19 to 26.

“We don’t really know what that looks like yet,” says Cummings. “But we are really excited that they have formalized the fact and accepted that youth beyond that age of 19 do need support.”

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