Abbotsford program helps at-risk youth homelessness

An Abbotsford outreach program is helping address at-risk youth homelessness in the city.

The City of Abbotsford says its working at helping this population through the SWIFT Program that launched in September.

It says its already made “great strides…through a co-ordinated service that goes into homeless camps, high-risk living situations and schools to identify and connect vulnerable youth with the necessary supports, housing options and resources they need to help them realize a better path for themselves.”

Through a partnership with the city, police, the Ministry of Children and Family Development, and the Cyrus Centre, the program works at helping youth aged 13 to 24.

It also strives to “respond to known unsafe circumstances, people, and potential living situations, including homelessness.”

Since September 2022, the SWIFT Program has been making great strides addressing at-risk youth homelessness here in Abbotsford. pic.twitter.com/S1Jek2Tg2T

— City of Abbotsford (@City_Abbotsford) January 10, 2023

Over the past few months, the city says the programs outreach team has helped six previously homeless youth move into housing, and four people with substance-use treatment.

“By working in partnership to deliver co-ordinated services to youth who are at risk of homelessness in Abbotsford, the SWIFT Program has already improved the lives of some of the most vulnerable youth in Abbotsford. This targeted funding will connect youth to the services and resources they need to change the direction of their lives,” Minister of Children and Family Development Mitzi Dean said.

Currently, the team says they have identified another 60 youth that are a part of their caseload.

“Due to the vulnerability of youth, at-risk youth in Abbotsford often intersect with homelessness, substance use and mental health challenges, street disorder, educational challenges, exploitation, and poverty. Prevention and response are often considered as two different areas to address, and as such providing continuity of care for vulnerable youth can be problematic and insufficient to meet their complex needs, which the SWIFT Program aims to address,” the city explained.

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Abbotsford’s Mayor Ross Siemens says that the program is a way of showing homeless youth that they are cared about.

“The challenges faced by the at-risk youth in our community are complex, and trying to find and access the appropriate services and help can be overwhelming for a young person in need. By having team members go and visit with at-risk youth in their own environment and bring the information, make valuable connections and link them with services helps them realize that support is within reach and that people do care,” Siemens said.

Cst. Shane Dueck with the Abbotsford Police Department says by helping at-risk youth, it could also improve safety in the community.

“In addition to linking youth directly to the supports and services they need, through building relationships and rapport with them, the SWIFT Program is also helping to enhance overall community safety. Having members with positive relationships with so many of our at-risk youth is having an effect in solving violent crime. Some youth who would otherwise refuse to cooperate with police have found confidence in reporting violent crimes to SWIFT team members, which has directly led to important arrests in Abbotsford.”

The program also helps connect “unattached at-risk youth to a variety of services, respond to victimization, exploitation and abuse, provide basic needs including food, harm-reduction and housing,” a tweet from the city explained.