Enhancing Youth Engagement as part of the Community Strategy to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness in Ottawa

Ottawa has a ten-year goal to end homelessness. Many people feel this is possible using Housing First strategies which help people access housing immediately, then address problems of addiction, poverty and mental illness which compromised past housing. However, youth homelessness is different than adult homelessness. It has youth-specific causes and higher stakes; the less time youth are homeless, the less likely it is they will remain homeless. In collaboration with Ottawa’s Alliance to End Homelessness, Carleton University sociologist Jackie Kennelly and anthropology master’s student Justin Langille will spend six months in 2016 researching homeless youth perspectives on Housing First strategies. They will hold focus groups and conduct interviews to find out what homeless youth see as challenges and opportunities in accessing housing and participating in the political process to make it happen. Their research will inform strategies to address youth homelessness developed by the A Way Home Ottawa steering committee.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jacqueline Kennelly

Student:

Partner:

Alliance to End Homelessness

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Carleton University

Program: