Prevent youth homelessness, one youth at a time

On any given night, more than 170 youth under the age of 25 in Greater Vancouver are incredible. It is important that we address why this happens, but equally important is how we respond to each individual youth to make sure they are safe. That’s where Family Services of Greater Vancouver, or FSGV, comes in.

Griffin is the housing and life skills worker at Directions Youth Services, a division of FSGV. In his role, Griffin works one-on-one with vulnerable or vulnerable youth. Helping youth learn about and understand their rights and responsibilities as tenants is a regular part of Griffin’s work.

“A lot of these young people don’t have someone like a family member to help them navigate these situations,” Griffin says. “And when someone’s housing situation isn’t going well, support makes a world of difference.” Griffin helps youth document issues, research options, petition their landlords and navigate the expenses involved with these processes or moving.

Navigate legal rights as a maintainer

When housing complications arise, Griffin works alongside the youth. He shares a recent example: “A teenager woke up to find that two other people had moved while he was sleeping. He was subject, and what I quickly found is that the rules are very vague.” Together, they learned about subleasing to identify their options.

After all the variables were weighed, and with Griffin’s help, this youth chose to find another place to live. This type of support is integral to ensuring the safety of young people so that they are not at risk of exploitation or homelessness.

One youth at a time

Griffin doesn’t always hear from the youth after they find housing. What he gets to see is the youth moving forward, one at a time, knowing that they are safe and that they know where to turn if or when they need help.

Your support today will help youth in our community get the help they need when they are in crisis. Donate today at fsgv.ca/haw.