Opinion: Wrap-around supports are crucial for Metro Vancouver's homeless youth
Written for Daily Hive Urbanized by Maria Howard, who is the CEO of Family Services of Greater Vancouver.
When society talks about homelessness in the Lower Mainland, youth — those under the age of 25 — are too often left out of the picture.
At best, we acknowledge their existence and voice concern, but when it comes time to invest in solutions, youth-specific solutions are often an afterthought.
The data for youth homelessness may seem insignificant in comparison to the overall regional, provincial, or federal data on this issue but point in time counts indicate that 47 per cent of homeless adults first experience homelessness before the age of 25. For both moral and economic reasons, we simply cannot afford to continue letting unhoused youth be an afterthought in our planning. The solutions must rapidly expand — and we already know what works.
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In Vancouver and the surrounding region, the majority of shelter spaces are 19+ with limited dedicated youth beds. Some 100 youth-specific shelter beds are available on a given night. According to the latest point in time count, there are 172 unhoused youth in Metro Vancouver. Studies indicate that youth are often undercounted.
And while definitions for “youth” and shelter spaces and weather-dependent availability may vary, the bottom line doesn’t: demand outstrips supply.
While the number of beds matters, our experience tells us beds alone won’t end this crisis. A mat on a bunk in a room shared with dozens of other youth is not a home. Young people are impressionable, their brains are still developing, and they need stability and positive role models. A youth shelter without wrap-around support is a revolving door. A youth centre with integrated services under one roof? That can be a lifeline.
At Family Services of Greater Vancouver, we have been supporting the unhoused youth population for more than 30 years through Directions Youth Services. When a young person walks in the door at Directions — whether they’re escaping violence, aging out of government care, or simply running out of couches — they need more than a mat on the floor.
They need access to counselling, health care, cultural- and identity-affirming spaces, nutritious food, showers, laundry, access to clean restrooms, ways to have fun and get creative, and, when they’re ready, support for goal setting. They need these things immediately and without barriers.
Directions Overnight Shelter. (Kevin Clark/Family Services of Greater Vancouver)
Beyond programs and services, youth need people who respect them and know how to build trust. They need positive role models. And, ideally, they need all of that in one location, not scattered across the city in a maze of referrals they can’t realistically navigate if they’re in crisis.
The under-one-roof model recognizes that for youth, homelessness isn’t just about housing. It’s about life skills, job training, and having a person in your corner. When these supports are readily available, youth transition to stability at a higher rate.
Research shows that youth who receive comprehensive, on-site supports are more likely to exit into permanent housing and less likely to return to homelessness. They report better mental health outcomes and stronger connections to education or employment. Wrap-around supports work.
Directions Drop-In Centre Hall. (Mavreen David/Family Services of Greater Vancouver)
In measuring outcomes at Directions and monitoring global strategies to end homelessness, the lesson is clear: if we want to end youth homelessness and prevent entrenched adult homelessness, we must invest in youth-specific, under-one-roof services that meet young people where they are. The Lower Mainland’s current capacity is scattered, stretched, and insufficient to support the youth who need us most.
This isn’t about charity. It’s about responsibility.
Every youth in our community has potential — to work, to create, to contribute, and to thrive. When all we provide is a mat on the floor, it’s not recognizing a young person’s dignity. When we surround them with care, connection, and opportunity, we give them the tools to build their future.
The future of homeless youth and the future of our community is intertwined: we cannot continue to let young people be an afterthought in our solutions.
Directions Drop-In Media Room. (Kevin Clark/Family Services of Greater Vancouver)