$552,000 given to help local homeless youth

The Windsor Residence for Young Men has received a $552,000 grant to help local youth.

A $552,000 Grow Grant has been given to the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The funding will help WRYM expand critical services, further supporting youth who are at risk-of or that are experiencing homelessness.

The WRYM said it will continue to build on its System Navigation pilot project, which is an initiative that prepares youth in crisis with necessary life skills and support to gain economic independence and housing stability.

“Windsor-Essex is home to many incredible services, but for youth in crisis, simply finding and accessing these supports can feel overwhelming or impossible,” said Jason Weinberg, executive director of WRYM.

“When you’re facing homelessness, navigating complex eligibility rules, referral systems, waitlists, and transportation barriers can be a challenge that stops before you even begin. This funding allows us to break down those barriers. We’re not just pointing young people in the right direction, we’re walking alongside them, ensuring they get the right help, from the right places, at the right time.”

WRYM will keep offering intensive case management within its housing programs over the next three years, while essential services are expanded.

In the first two years of the pilot, more than 50 homeless youth were helped, securing long-term housing when they left the program.