Housing Options for Youth and Young Adults

Welcome to our survey!

We are researchers in Halifax, NS, which until recently has been an affordable place to live. Increasingly the region has seen very low rental vacancy rates and very high rents, which has resulted in more difficulty for low-income earners seeking housing. Youth and young adults are particularly vulnerable to this new trend. However, the capacity for local non-profit housing organizations in Halifax to meet this need is limited. We have been contracted by Phoenix Youth Programs, a local non-profit agency that provides housing and other resources for youth ages 11-24, to research the range of supportive or transitional housing for youth across Canada and internationally.

We have conducted a review of housing projects and programs across Canada and elsewhere. To build on this knowledge, we are surveying non-profit housing providers, non-profit service providers, and public authorities to find out what projects and programs exist across the country. We will use this information to inform potential, new housing models for Phoenix Youth.

With your permission, we would like to identify the name of your organization, types of support and services, and any innovative projects that you have planned, in our final report. This survey contains 17 questions that will help us better understand the housing and housing support services you provide. For agencies in the HRM, we have a few additional questions for you at the end of the survey pertaining to the local housing market, pressures and needs.

This project is made possible through the Community Housing Transformation Centre’s Sectoral Transformation Fund. The research findings will also be available through the Centre’s website for anyone to access and use to support their housing work. Feel free to circulate this link to anyone who you think would be interested.

www.centre.support

www.phoenixyouth.ca

If you agree to participate, proceed to the survey questions.

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* 1. What is the name of your organization?

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* 2. What is your email address?

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* 3. What demographic group(s) do you serve?

All age groups

Youth aged 18 and under

Youth/young adults 18-26

Women

Men

2SLGBTQ+

Immigrants/Newcomers

Indigenous

Other (please specify)

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* 4. What types of services do you provide to clients, if any?

Harm reduction

Addiction support

Mental health support

Life skills training

Legal support

Case management

Employment services

Educational supports

Restorative justice

Family support

Shelter diversion

Immigration services

Housing First

Access to financial information (e.g. rent supplements)

Prevention services

Services for 2SLGBTQ+

Cultural Services

Indigenous Services

Other (please specify)

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* 5. We are interested in hearing from organizations who are involved in (or working to get involved in) the provision of supportive or transitional housing. Is your organization a:

Non-profit housing provider

Non-profit service provider

Public housing authority (municipal)

Public housing authority (provincial)

Other (please specify)

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* 6. What is your role in housing?

Housing provider (rent units, maintain existing units, provide shelter spaces)

Housing developer (develop new units, develop new shelter spaces)

Provide housing referrals to other organizations

Provide assistance for clients trying to find housing

Public sector (e.g. assisting non-profits through a funding program, providing rent supplements)

Housing advocacy

Other (please specify)

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* 7. Can you describe your current housing stock? (e.g. number of units, number of buildings, level of support for tenants). If none, type N/A.

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* 8. Do you provide a Housing First program that includes Housing First stock?

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* 9. We are interested in examples of housing for youth, but we think it would be beneficial to this process to hear about projects and models of supportive and transitional housing for all demographics. These can include housing with supports all the way to independent housing options (feel free to include a link or the name of your project). What types of housing do you manage/operate, if any?

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* 10. For the projects you have mentioned, how do they operate? (e.g. funding, support/collaboration with other agencies, project management) Does your organization receive support from governments or public agencies?

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* 11. If you were able to easily change something about your current housing model(s) to improve them/it, what would it be?

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* 12. How would you describe your location within your city/region (e.g. urban, rural, suburban)? Does the location meet the needs of your key demographic(s)? Briefly, why or why not?

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* 13. Many housing organizations face challenges such as consistent funding, housing market trends, partnerships/collaboration, maintaining or expanding supply. What’s your biggest challenge in providing appropriate housing (or providing services, if this is your organizational role)? How do you manage it?

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* 14. Do you have any new initiatives or projects in development that you would be willing to share with us?

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* 15. Can you share a lesson learned when developing new housing that would be helpful for others to hear?

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* 16. Do you know about new developments or innovations in transitional or supportive housing that can be shared? (e.g. international examples)

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* 17. What are the trends you’re seeing in housing models that make you the most excited?

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* 18. Is your organization is located in the Halifax region?

Yes