Affordable housing for at-risk youth

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This article was published 01/04/2021 (1804 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Westman Youth for Christ officially launches its Common Spaces initiative today.

The program is designed to give second-stage addictions recovery support to young people living within the region.

The Common Spaces program will be facilitated through two new apartment complexes that provide 30 units of affordable housing and are located at 705 Lorne Ave. in downtown Brandon.

Common Spaces director Allan Peters made this announcement during a Wednesday morning livestream with representatives of federal, provincial and local municipal governments, who all had a hand in funding this project.

Peters said that one of these two buildings is actively taking in tenants starting today, with the aim of cultivating a safe, secure and drug-free environment that can lead troubled youth, aged 18 to 29, on the steady road to recovery.

“When young people can be confident in housing stability, safer and more secure buildings and supportive relationships across the community, they have the opportunity to embrace recovery and build towards a hopeful tomorrow,” he said.

Peters later mentioned that this project has been in the works since April 2018, and wouldn’t have been possible without the support he has received from individuals in the Brandon area and beyond.

Outside of getting funding from the federal ($3.3 million) and provincial governments ($1.95 million), Peters also highlighted the fact that nearby businesses like Steve’s Livestock Transport also chipped in despite the strain that COVID-19 has put on the local economy.

“And so we’re really thankful for the many individuals in the community who have stepped up,” Peters said. “And we’re excited to share that our funding goals for our initial investment have almost been met at this time.”

This announcement comes off the heels of Westman Youth for Christ announcing that they will also be setting up a Youth Hub in downtown Brandon, which is meant to be a one-stop shop for mental health care, addiction treatment and other social services.

While the Youth Hub is designed for individuals who are taking the first steps in their recovery, Westman Youth for Christ executive director Dwayne Dyck later told the Sun that Common Spaces is designed for people who just got out of a treatment facility and need a secure place to live.

Together, these two new programs are part of Westman Youth for Christ’s overall plan to create a stronger support network for troubled youth in the Westman region.

“For years, we’ve been meeting young people who are trying to get out of their addictions,” Dyck said in a Wednesday news release from WYFC. “This was something we could do to help. It’s not an easy road for them.”

Moving forward, Peters expects that the remaining 15 units of Common Spaces housing will be made available as of May 1.

To learn more about this program, Peters says interested parties can contact Westman Youth for Christ directly at 204-727-1251 or brandon@wyfc.ca.

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