Poor economy, 'hidden homeless' see demand nearly double for Choices for Youth services

A tough economic climate is directly connectedto an increase in visits to Choices for Youth in 2016, says the organization's director of programs.

Linda Warford says the St. John's non-profit organization which helps homeless and at-risk youth find places to live, employment, and lends support and counselling for mental-health problems saw the amount of visits to the organization increase sharplyin a single year.

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"A year ago, we would have been seeing 40, 50, 60 young people [at a time], tops," she said.

It's harder and harder to find safe housing, so people are struggling to have a decent place to live.- Linda Warford

"In the last six months, we've been seeing closer to 80 young people per day."

While Choices for Youth has been examining reasons for the hike in demand, the rocky state of Newfoundland and Labrador's economy is hard to miss, as it has been hit hard in the last few years by the global slump in oil prices.

"It's probably a multitude of factorsobviously the economy isn't great, so people are struggling, families are struggling," she said.

"I think that there's more people living in poverty than maybe before. It's harder and harder to find safe housing, so people are struggling to have a decent place to live."

With increased awareness of the organization's services, more people may be making use of them too, she said.

Hidden homelessness

Many of the youth who make use of the program's offered by Choices For Youthhavemental health and addictions issues.

"It's pretty common, for sure lots of complex issues, lots of childhood trauma and that type of thing," she said.

Warford said many of the people who use the organization's programs also don't meet traditional definitions of homelessness.

Shesaid many youthcouch-surfat friends' homes andare in and out of shelters, but they're not often people you would see outside on a downtown street.

"How we describe a lot of youth homelessness is that it's more hidden homelessness," said Warford.

"So I think lots of people in the community are often surprised when we say we see a thousandyoung people a year and more, and they go, 'Where are they? We don't see them.'"

A Hey Rosetta! Christmas concert tradition

8 years ago

Duration 3:30

Every Christmas, Hey Rosetta! comes home to St. John's to play concerts. This year, proceeds from one show went to Choices for Youth

Although more people visited Choices for Youth in 2016, Warford believes the organization offers the right tools tohelp youth succeed in the future.

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"Young people that we work with definitely have lots and lots of challenges, there's no doubt about it, but I think they have lots of successes too," she said.

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"If you give young people the right types of supports and you don't judge them and you show them respect, like any of us in society want, I think young people can go a long distance."