1. From across the pond Some learning from my WCMT travel fellowship
Tamsin Stirling
Presention for Locked Out Seminar
31 January 2018

2. A bit about me & my fellowship

3. Things are different, things are the same
Scale of youth homelessness
Homelessness systems & funding streams
Terminology
Complexity
Attitudes
Safety nets
Reasons for youth homelessness

4. Speaking truth to power
Young people making their voices heard
National/state-level advocacy
National Youth Forum on Homelessness (US)
California Homeless Youth Project
California Forum for Youth
Organisation/service level groups

5. Examples of services
Holistic support services for LGBT youth including temporary housing (Los Angeles)
Volunteer host homes for LGBT youth (Minneapolis)
Toni’s House - privately funded for young women with onsite supportive roommate and casework support (Calgary)
Rogers Home – for sex trafficked young women (Toronto)
Emergency housing for young people from the age of 12 (Sacramento)
Housing First for Youth – as early intervention and prevention (Edmonton)
Upstream Project in schools (prevention)

6. Some great resources
Homeless Hub – run by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
Making it better now for LGBTQ2S youth experiencing homelessness
Definition of indigenous homelessness
Canadian Alliance for Ending Homelessness – conference presentations
&

7. The role of coalitions A Way Home Canada
‘coalition partners work together to support communities in planning and implementing solutions and engage government and the general public in supporting A Way Home’s vision to prevent and end youth homelessness in Canada’
A Way Home America
‘a national initiative to build the movement to prevent and end homelessness among young people’
Alliances of funders – A Way Home Canada funders’ table

8. A Way Home America: 100 day challenges

9. A Way Home Canada: plans

10. Business sector engagement

11. The youth homelessness ecosystem in Canada
Research
Policy development
Influence/advocacy
Demonstration partners
Funders
Not perfect or totally inclusive but
organisations play to their strengths

12. Reflections
What do we need in Wales to move away from managing youth homelessness to ending it?
What role might there be for:
plans/strategies to end youth homelessness at national/local levels?
better data?
more/different research?
youth voice – speaking directly to power?
improved/different alliance(s)?
more engagement/strategic engagement of business/private sector?
more strategic approach to funding by foundations?
me - how can I be the best ally?