Youth We Serve
Homeless youth ages 14 to 17 who may or may not have Children's Services status and have no other viable and appropriate option for their homelessness.
The following values were collaboratively created by the ICYHP staff team. Each one has been integrated into our programming and is an integral component in the delivery of services.
Acceptance: We believe in the importance of treating youth in an empathic, non-judgmental way that is respectful of their religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and individual values and norms. We believe in the importance of accepting the youth at their starting point and value their input and insights in determining their goals.
Compassion: We are mindful of the hardships/barriers that our youth have experienced and are dedicated to supporting them in a way that nurtures their potential, strengthens their support systems, and fosters their independence. We are committed to creating a healthy living/working environment by communicating in a positive, solution-focused manner.
Empowering: We believe that all youth have the potential to grow and reach their goals. We are dedicated to building their confidence and increasing their support systems to ensure that they have the resources necessary to become healthy, independent adults.
Collaborative: We support an inclusive environment where staff and youth input is welcomed and respected. We are also committed to developing and maintaining positive external relationships with contractors/community partners in order to better serve the youth in our care.
Diversity: We appreciate the varied strengths, backgrounds and experience of our youth and staff team and we value the richness that this diversity brings to our organization. Programming is continuously evaluated to ensure that we are meeting the diverse, individualized needs of the youth in our care.
Integrity: We are committed to operating our agency in an integral manner, adhering to principles and standards of practice that reflect honesty, openness, inclusivity, balance and support.
Evolving: We are committed to conducting ongoing program evaluation and external needs assessments to ensure that we are offering effective programming, relevant to the changing needs of marginalized youth.
Appreciation: We are committed to valuing and recognizing the strengths of youth, staff and community partners and their individual contributions to the agency.
ICYHP clients include but are not limited to youth who are:
- street-involved
- high risk
- suffering from mental health concerns
- experiencing substance abuse issues
- victims of sexual exploitation
- victims of unstable family backgrounds (transient, addictions issues, etc.)
- victims of poverty
- victims of family violence
- Aboriginal, Immigrant and Refugee populations
- LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer)
- and are otherwise homeless.
Due to our single-staffing model, ICYHP is unable to accommodate clients who:
- Require one-to-one services (due to health-care concerns, mental health issues, etc.)
- Have an extensive history of violent behavior (physical, sexual, gang involvement, weapons charges).
Guiding Principles
The Inner City Youth Housing Project is governed by the following Guiding Principles:
- All individuals are deserving of a full measure of respect and dignity.
- Safe, accessible, quality housing provides the foundation for a healthy, independent lifestyle.
- Housing and services must be easily accessible, support placement stability and provide opportunities for youth to learn through their choices.
- Services will be provided with an understanding of the realities of poverty, racism, social isolation, trauma, sex-based discrimination and other social inequalities that affect youth's vulnerability and their capacity to make positive choices.
- Services will build on each young person's strengths and abilities, create and support opportunities for youth to provide input into their service planning and assist youth in working towards independence.
"Inner City has helped many different youth in need. A place where people are always around, supporting you, and ready to talk and listen. A stable place you can call home. Workers here are more like friends with guiding hands that bring you closer to your goals. Myself included has felt such a relief and a release of problems, too much for my teenage hands. I feel safe, secure, and welcome. Inner city is a voluntary place that’s simply here to help." 15 year old female resident