Winter temperatures continue to drop and homelessness is increasing throughout Canada. Zachary Bernardi, a youth worker at Covenant House Vancouver (CHV)’s complex support services drop-in centre, and Andrea Sadowski, a former employee of organizations such as Mission Community Services, Chilliwack Community Services, and Salvation Army (as well as ***The Cascade*), shared their experiences working with youth on the front lines.
CHV is a trauma-informed agency focused on helping young people susceptible to, or experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness. Bernardi, who has been working for a year at CHV and previously worked five years with the Homeward Trust program in Edmonton, commented on how uplifting it was working with youth.
“Working with adults was a positive but difficult experience because after you have an adult who’s been on the streets for 20, 30, 40 years, and they get very entrenched into the street life and surviving, they oftentimes will have an extremely difficult time transitioning away from that street life. Where a lot of the youth that I’m working with haven’t really gotten to that point yet.”
Sadowski shared a similar experience.
“Youth work is a little more uplifting because a lot of them were pretty fresh on the streets … a big part of our job was trying to reconnect them with their families and integrate them back into society … But working with adults — [some] are so far gone. They’ve been on the street for decades. This is the only life they know.”
Each organization’s rules vary according to whether they’re privately funded or not. Bernardi mentioned how private funding allowed them to “pilot test” new initiatives, and there’s more leeway with rules. However, it created some confusion regarding rule enforcement and which actions to take.
Sadowski remarked on the obstacles faced with the rigidity of certain rules at government-funded organizations.
“Shelters and all housing organizations have to have rules, and that’s necessary. The youth have to learn how to live with these rules … but sometimes, with such a vulnerable population, you have to bend the rules a bit. So, I would get into fights with my supervisor, who saw things very black and white.”
Sadowski explained how strict it could be working for a Christian organization like the Salvation Army and shared her frustration with enforcing some of these rules.
“There are a lot of overdoses in the building, and the sad part was someone that overdosed, we would revive them, and then they would lose their bed. They would get kicked out, and it’s like the guy almost just died, and now he’s going to be on the street.”
She emphasized the importance of harm-reduction policies in cases like this and pointed to the many studies encouraging these policies, as they are considered safer.
“They’re good for the neighbourhood; they’re good for people who use them. They actually help people get off the drugs [and] get off the street. The people hear that word, and they think, ‘Oh, you’re bringing drugs into my neighbourhood.’ No, we’re actually taking [them out].”
Drugs are not the only reason for homelessness. In the Fraser Valley, there’s been over a 200 per cent increase in homelessness from 2014 to 2023, where the average price in rent has gone from $829 to $1,483 in recent years.
Both Sadowski and Bernardi noted the effect of the growing housing prices as one of the main reasons for homelessness and how people are closer to living on the streets than they thought. They encouraged people to be more empathetic.
“[People] need to realize they are one missed pay cheque away from being homeless themselves … treating them like human beings and politicians setting the example about that would be pretty good,” said Sadowski.
“At the end of the day, the person you have in front of you is still a person and still deserves to be talked to with dignity and respect,” stated Bernadi.
He added that even if people can’t financially support those experiencing homelessness, to be knowledgeable of organizations that provide aid remains important.
“Keep it in the back of your head so that if you are talking to an individual that might need some help, then go, ‘Oh, I’ve heard about this great resource. Here you go.’”
Bernardi advocated looking beyond first impressions, as people will discover a world of wonder in who these youths are.
“…A lot of these kids have strengths … people can ignore, especially when they see they’re homeless, perhaps they’re using substances, perhaps they have tattoos on their face … [There’s] a snap judgement into who they are … but they’re just very lovely … and they want better lives for themselves.”
CHV will host a Sleep Out on Feb. 20 to support youth experiencing homelessness, foster understanding, and raise funds. Everyone is welcome to join.
