We had a guest staying at the shelter for several months before we were able to find suitable accommodations that fit his budget, preferences, and lifestyle.
His drive to maintain employment was incredible to see, and because of that drive and his efforts, he was never without a job for more than a week or two. As we often see, despite the strengths and resilience he showed he continued to face difficulties with landlords he wanted to rent from due to common barriers our youth face such as discrimination due to age, gender and socioeconomic status. He worked closely with his Outreach Worker, remained hopeful and eventually met with a landlord who was respectful, accepting, welcoming, and accommodating, and he found his home. He has created a very positive relationship with his landlord and has been able to communicate and navigate through small differences. He has kept up on all of his payments and has been able to take time to learn about building credit to lead to a more secure financial future. March of 2020 will be his sixth month of successful housing and building independence.