Housing First Youth Shelter: Youth Opportunities Unlimited
Housing First Youth Shelter: Outreach and Diversion Workers
Youth Opportunities Unlimited
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) is a non-profit focused on supporting youth in London and Middlesex by helping them access services that can allow them to return to school and enter the job market.
“We work with community partners to help young people find all the tools and resources they need to build a tool box of opportunities,” says Steve Cordes, CEO of Youth Opportunities Unlimited. “Things that will help them find success and achieve their potential.”
The YOU Housing First Youth Shelter provides temporary homes for youth and uses a Housing First model; focusing on creating a path to permanent housing rather than simply providing shelter. Outreach and Diversion workers will help youth explore their housing options and connect them to services and housing solutions. By drawing on trusted relatives or family friends identified by the youth themselves, workers support their transition from the shelter into a home.
“We know that for young people experiencing homelessness for the first time, the first 30 days of their experience is critical,” says Cordes. “That’s when you need to explore diversion opportunities. Any longer than 30 days and they start to identify themselves as being homeless and it becomes part of who they are, rather than a situation they're in.”
