February 23, 2012 | Press Releases, In the News

Streetohome Foundation Receives $375,000 from Coast Capital Savings to Support Housing for Youth

Today Streetohome Foundation is pleased to announce a $375,000 contribution from Coast Capital Savings in support of its capital campaign to break the cycle of homelessness in Vancouver. This generous donation will be allocated to the housing development at 2465 Fraser Street to provide 103 supported housing units, of which 30 units will be dedicated to youth between the ages of 16 and 24.

“Coast Capital Savings is committed to building a richer future for youth in our communities by investing in programs and services that provide at-risk youth with the life-skills training they need to find jobs and housing,” said Tracy Redies, President and CEO of Coast Capital Savings, referring to their strong history of funding youth programs. “The new building will provide 30 units of much needed youth housing that will benefit hundreds of at-risk youth over the life of the project.”

Streetohome Foundation is committed to working with non-profit, business, community, and government partners to find new approaches to preventing and alleviating homelessness in Vancouver.

“Youth homelessness is on the rise in Vancouver, and if we are going to solve homelessness we need to focus on prevention and housing for this particularly vulnerable group,” said Dick Vollet, President of Streetohome Foundation. “It is especially difficult for youth leaving the foster care system, as many of these individuals are at risk of becoming homeless.”

The Broadway development will be operated by the Vancouver Native Housing Society (VNHS). VNHS will provide tenants with access to community-based mental and physical health care and addictions services, and a variety of life-skills training including household management and meal preparation, money management and community living. The building will also be the new home of the Broadway Youth Resource Centre (BYRC), which will also support the youth who live in the 30 youth-designated units. BYRC will provide counseling, support and medical services for youth facing mental health and addiction challenges, in addition to employment support and life-skills training.

“Our development at Broadway and Fraser will house some of Vancouver’s most vulnerable folks, including Aboriginal men, women and in particular, youth,” says David Eddy, CEO of Vancouver Native Housing Society. “These individuals will be offered supports and services designed to help them move forward on successful life journeys. Our partners such as Streetohome are integral elements in this process, offering us connections to the business community and sources of funding we have not typically been able to access.”

“Our programs provide youth with support and counseling from experienced staff, to help them stay off the street and find new possibilities,” says Ingrid Kastens, the Executive Director of Pacific Community Resources Society, the organization that administers the Broadway Youth Resource Centre. “This new building will also provide some of our most disadvantaged youth at risk of homelessness with the housing they need to feel safe and secure, and the ability to start planning for their future.”

About Coast Capital Savings Credit Union:
Coast Capital Savings Credit Union is Canada’s second largest credit union with total assets under administration of $12.3 billion, more than 454,000 members and 51 branches in the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island regions of British Columbia. Product innovations include Canada’s first free chequing account from a full-service financial institution and the country’s most flexible mortgage product, the You’re the BossTM Mortgage, which was named 2010 Mortgage of the Year by canadianmortgagetrends.com. Coast Capital offers one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures™. It is a member of Canada’s Best Managed Companies Platinum Club and an Imagine Canada Caring Company. To learn more, visit www.coastcapitalsavings.com.

About Streetohome Foundation:
Streetohome is dedicated to ensuring that residents of our city have access to safe, decent, affordable housing and the support they need to make a difference in their lives. Streetohome is the first organization in Vancouver to take a systematic approach to addressing both homelessness and its root causes. Learn more at www.streetohome.org.

About Broadway Youth Resource Centre:
Open since 1999, Broadway Youth Resource Centre (BYRC) is an integrated one-stop centre that provides a wide range of social, health, education, employment and life-skills services to homeless and at-risk youth between the ages of 12 and 24. To learn more, visit http://www.pcrs.ca/broadway_youth_resource_centre.

About Vancouver Native Housing Society:
VNHS’ original and ongoing mandate is to provide safe, secure, affordable housing for members of the urban Aboriginal population. Recently they have begun to focus on providing housing and support solutions for more marginalized members of the community, including those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness – seniors, youth, persons living with mental illness, and those struggling with alcohol and substance abuse issues. To learn more about VNHS, visit: http://www.vnhs.ca/.

-30-

Media contacts:
Christina Panagio, Streetohome Foundation, 604-629-2711,
[email protected]
Tasha Bukovnik, Coast Capital Savings, 604-517-7657,
[email protected]