Young people with complex needs make up a small percentage of youth experiencing homelessness, yet require a much higher level of support and resources than other youth in the same situation. After seeing this group of youth cycle through programs and repeat episodes of homelessness, Trellis staff realized a different level of support was needed. Staff advocated for a different way of working with these youth, and after many meetings and a lot of hard work, we are excited to launch a brand-new program called The Boreal.  

Falling through the cracks 

Last year, our youth shelter Avenue 15 served 144 youth with over 2,800 bed nights of safe shelter. However, more than half of these stays were by the same 23 youth.  

These youth all face common barriers, says Jen Hosie, manager of The Boreal . They live with a range of complex challenges that include mental health, addiction and severe childhood trauma. Almost all have been involved in gangs or exploitation and have spent time at the Calgary Young Offenders Centre. Because services are often not set up for such high acuity needs, this small group of youth struggle to fit into programs and systems that usually work well for their peers.  

Kim Ledene, a Trellis program director, adds that in some instances of service delivery, these youth are at a high risk of being victimized. In scattered site housing, for example, youth have run into scary situations where guests, often adults with ties to gangs, take over their units.  

There are also gaps in services when youth are not yet equipped with the life skills to live on their own.  

“Many of them have developmental, cognitive delays where they're not really functioning at the 17-year-old level, but the world is expecting them to be that way,” says Kim. “I think what's most important about The Boreal is it really comes from a place where housing is a human right and people don't have to earn their housing with good behavior.” 

What The Boreal offers 

The Boreal is a lodging-style house owned by Home Space and located in Forest Lawn. The program will start out as a one-year pilot and offer small apartment-style units paired with intensive case management to eight youth at a time. The space is designed to be trauma-informed with lots of bright spaces so that youth feel safe and comfortable.  

“Our goal is for a young person who comes to our building to realize that they matter and somebody cares about them and cares about where they live,” says Kim. “I think The Boreal sends that message to the youth that we're going to serve there.” 

Working with community partners through the Complex Youth Collaborative Table, The Boreal will identify youth who need safe housing. Whereas other programs like Avenue 15 serve as a temporary shelter, The Boreal is meant to be a home where youth can stay for as long as they want. The program’s low-barrier, harm reduction focus also means that youth do not have to meet any preconditions to receive help. 

“Youth would be able to live there regardless of where they are in life,” says Jen. “They don't need to be sober. They don't need to be in school. There's no eligibility criteria. We will walk with them no matter what.” 

The Boreal will provide support that values youth’s choice, voice and self-determination. In addition to 24/7 on-site staff, The Boreal will be working with supports such as Trellis Circle Keepers, Alberta Health Services and addictions counselors so that youth are connected with whatever help they need.  

The Forest Lawn Community is an ideal location for accessibility to transit, and it gets youth out of the downtown core as a first step towards stability. The neighbourhood also already has protective factors and community resources, which will provide additional wraparound support for youth to achieve their goals. These include: 

• The Alex Youth Health Centre 

• Sunrise Resource Centre (low-cost counselling, community kitchen & free haircuts)  

• Trellis Forest Lawn Club, which runs youth programming and has youth employment opportunities  

• All in for Youth Support Coaches in Forest Lawn High School, Jack James High School & Marlborough Discovering Choices 

Success will look differently for each youth. For some that might mean getting into school, and for others it might be working on sobriety. As youth also transition to adulthood, learning to nurture healthy relationships and strengthening natural support networks is crucial, Kim says. 

“A lot of the young people we work with have been apprehended, they've been put in foster care, they've been taken away from their family or their natural supports, and in that there's a lot of judgment and shame,” Kim says. “First and foremost, we believe relationship is the conduit to change. Building a relationship with young people where we care about them, no matter where they’ve come from or what they’ve been through, is the first and most important step.” 

The Boreal will officially open its doors in the spring. With this new beginning, our hope is that these youth will finally have the support needed to improve their quality of life on a recovery journey that they define. We look forward to sharing more about the program as it unfolds in the coming year! 

About HomeSpace Society

HomeSpace is a charitable developer, rental housing owner and property manager. HomeSpace provides safe, appropriate, and affordable housing for the most vulnerable Calgarians and owns a portfolio of more than 700 units in 24 communities across the city. For more information visit HomeSpace.org