[CAH] Call To Action on Homeless Youth Agenda

[Darcy Harvey]

Hello Members, 



Last week some of us from Halifax had the opportunity to go to St. John's Newfoundland for  Beyond the Street: Youth & Communities Taking Action on Homelessness, a National Conference profiling initiatives to address Youth Homelessness. The conference profiled existing challenges and emerging trends in youth homelessness and showcased successful Canadian efforts to address them. The agenda was designed to maximize shared learning, networking, and collaboration among delegates. 



This event gave an important opportunity to hear directly from young people as well as agencies and organizations and actually resulted in the development of a co-ordinated strategy for us all to bring back to our communities. This strategy is an action plan of 6 steps that was unanimously supported by all 246 delegates from across the country.

 

I am bringing these steps now to you to help continue this movement in solidarity with our partners across the country. Please look at these steps and see where you or your organization can take action:



  a.. Fully Recognize Homeless Persons - that Canadians and governments fully recognize homeless persons, including homeless youth, and respect their rights as citizens;
 

  a.. Make Action on Youth Homelessness a Top Priority - that all groups and individuals, including our governments, immediately make comprehensive and supportive action on youth homelessness a top priority in Canada;
 

  a.. Action for Governments - that governments maintain and enhance all programs on homelessness, including the National Homeless Initiative, affordable housing and youth support programs;
 

  a.. Reverse Federal Cuts to Youth Programs - that the federal government be urged to reverse the recent $55.4-million in cuts to youth employment and support programs;
 

  a.. Follow-up National Youth Conference and Advocacy -  that a National Steering Committee be formed to plan a follow-up National Youth Conference, organize future advocacy, facilitate information sharing and promote access to youth resources, with the initial support of $12,000 from Urban Core Support Network;
 

  a.. Action for Conference Participants - that conference participants take back and share what they have learned and experienced in St. John's with their local communities and support the "Homeless Youth Action Agenda."
Encourage your network contacts to write letters to your MP's listing the above recommendations and also highlighting success stories that will no longer be possible with the withdrawal of Federal Support. 

Thank-you, 

Darcy

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