Saint John housing project aims to break cycle of homelessness for youth - BERITAJA

A caller lodging task successful Saint John, N.B., intends to break the rhythm of homelessness for susceptible youth.

Nine supportive lodging units are being built to connection at-risk younker a safer and much unchangeable spot to live, and is being called the first of its benignant successful New Brunswick.

The project, Mitchener Village, is receiving $400,000 from the national authorities and $645,000 from the province.

“You cannot deliberation about your early if you’re conscionable spending each time trying to survive,” said Karen Cummings, Centre for Youth Care’s executive director.

“In 2025, successful Saint John alone, complete 100 younker betwixt the ages of 16 to 25 knowledgeable homelessness astatine slightest once.”

Cummings says tenants will beryllium paying 30 per cent of their income towards rent, and expects 9 tenants to inhabit each units by July 1.

She adds the lodging will person on-site support for the youths aged 19 to 25 and location is nary group requirements for income, sobriety, aliases education.

The task has group a extremity to thief the tenants go independent and attraction connected education, employment and building relationships.

“It won’t conscionable support 9 people. As group go secure, person opportunities to beryllium housed elsewhere, they will graduate,” said Health Minister John Dornan.

As well, supports will stay for the younker erstwhile they move out.

“Mental wellness is portion of the wide health, isn’t it? And we spot that group that suffer autumn into homelessness, go unhealthy, autumn into addiction, autumn into poverty, and truthful if we could thief group early on, that’s truthful valuable,” said Dornan.

Saint John-Kennebecasis MP Wayne Long said this is the first of galore much units to come.

“It’s heartbreaking erstwhile you spot 19- to 20-year-old young men, young ladies, really not being comfortable astatine (local shelters) because there’s besides a batch of older adults there,” he said.

“And this is simply a spot wherever hopefully we could get much (young people) housed, much of them secured.”

The announcement besides highlighted Saint John’s advancement nether Ottawa’s Housing Accelerator Fund.

The metropolis precocious received its 3rd backing instalment of about $2.6 cardinal aft exceeding lodging targets, tied to zoning reforms and efforts to free up much onshore for development.