RISE Youth Housing Program

YES’ Rise Youth Housing Program provides young people with a place to live that is safe and secure.

It is not emergency shelter. RISE is a more permanent safe place for young people with no other options. It is a place where youth can learn to cook their own food, keep their own things, and know they are being supported to recover, stabilize and move forward into their lives. This is how to resolve a young person’s homelessness. This is how we can help reduce adult homelessness in Peterborough. This program works.

In the program, participants pay a monthly fee they can afford, are responsible for specific chores, and are expected to participate in house meetings. Each individual also receives regular one-on-one help to identify and address some of their barriers to finding and keeping stable housing. Often youth in the program simply need more time to grow and develop into young adults.

YES Staff who support young people in the program help youth make good decisions for themselves, encourage them on their individual journeys, and are just there when youth need someone to listen.

When someone leaves this program, they have the skills to live on their own, regularly completing their high school diploma, exiting into a college program, employment or stable family re-connection.

Listen: youth share their experience

This audio was created by former Youth Housing mentor, Shannon Culkeen.

Indigenous RISE

Indigenous RISE provides supported transitional housing specifically to Indigenous youth.

Much like the rest of the RISE Program, Indigenous RISE offers housing and support to recover from homelessness. But with this program, these supports are offered through an Indigenous lens. Guidance is provided to youth according to the 7 Grandfather teachings, young people are connected to the appropriate Indigenous community services, as well as encouraged and facilitated to connect with their roots.

The Upstairs Program

The “Upstairs Program” is attached to YES’ main site at 196 Brock St. This is a 5 bedroom unit attached to, but separate from the youth and family emergency shelter. In this unit, 5 young people share a kitchen, bathrooms and common space. Because of its location (attached to the Emergency Shelter), youth in the Upstairs Program have support from a YES staff person seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Community-Based RISE

RISE has various locations in the community including two 3-bedroom units and an apartment building with several 1 and 2 bedroom apartments. These are for young people who are more independent and not likely to need 24 hour support from YES Staff. In each of these programs, individuals are supported by a RISE Worker with regular scheduled one to one meetings and support to achieve their individual goals.

FAQs

Who lives in the RISE Youth Housing Program?

To be eligible for housing and support through RISE, individuals must be:

Experiencing homelessness or housing instability
Aged 16-24
Reside in Peterborough and Peterborough County

How do we decide who gets a spot in RISE?

When a unit becomes available, spots are given to youth according to the location of the unit available (whether it be Indigenous RISE, Upstairs, or Community-based RISE) and a young person’s suitability for that RISE location. This is determined largely by the supports a young person will need to be housed successfully in the program.

The list of eligible candidates comes through the City of Peterborough’s By-Name List.

What is the By-Name List?

The By-name list is a real-time, up-to-date list of all people known to be experiencing homelessness in Peterborough. It is kept by the City of Peterborough and is populated with input from local agencies in the community that interact with people experiencing homelessness. These agencies act as “Community Entry Points” to the by-name list, because whenever they serve a person who is experiencing homelessness, they assess the persons needs, and add them to the list.

Peterborough/Nogojiwanongs Community Entry Points Include:

Help young people exit homelessness

YES runs the RISE Youth Housing Program entirely on donations by community members like you. Since we expanded the program, youth homelessness in Peterborough has gone down by over 50%. This program is saving young lives. Please help us ensure this program continues by donating to YES today.

Donate Here