Yorkton Transitional Homes for Youth Inc. last week celebrated the opening of its new housing project in Yorkton: the first of its kind outside of the province's major cities.
Two peer homes to house Yorkton's homeless youths - five males in one, five females in the other - have begun to accept residents as of March 1.
"On any given day in Canada, there's over 65,000 youth that are homeless," said Yorkton Transitional Homes for Youth board chair Judy Hughes at last week's ribbon cutting. "Today, thanks to many of you in the room here and other powers that be, there are now ten less."
The homelessness problem in Yorkton is more serious than many would guess. According to Hughes, more than 150 young people in the city are without a stable place to live.
The new housing project accepts youths aged 16 to 19 while they attend school. Each home employs a live-in mentor who will coach the residents and provide life skills training alongside other support staff. Residents stay in the homes voluntarily with no set tenancy periods. They can leave when they feel ready, said Hughes.
Costs of the housing project totalled $854,000, broken down into a $773,000 forgivable loan from the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, a $51,000 lot donation from the City of Yorkton, and $30,000 from Yorkton Transitional Homes for Youth. Most of the facilities' operating costs will be covered by $467,000 in annual funding provided by the Ministry of Social Services.
Hughes said her organization is now considering requests to build a home "of a different nature" in the city, but such a project would be several years off.
