Youth Shelter Update
The City, through its operator Wyndham House, has provided an interim shelter for at-risk youth since November 2008 at the former Delhi Community Centre. This interim facility provides twelve beds and has been operating at about a 50 percent occupancy rate. There have been 51 clients using the facility in the period between November 2008 and the end of March 2009 and the average length of stay was six days. Over 40% of the youth participated in Wyndham House’s After-Care support program to obtain the individual supports they need to find and maintain a longer-term housing situation.
To date, 17 youth (33%) have moved from the shelter into longer term, independent housing, have remained at the same address and continue to participate in the After Care program through one-on-one meetings, group workshops, and the After Care Facebook connection page. Out of those 17 youth, 4 planned moves into Wyndham House’s long-term residential programs and are now enrolled in a community high school. Almost 70% of the Shelter clients have made use of the services available at Wyndham House’s Youth Resource Centre on Douglas Street to assist them in looking for housing alternatives, help with food, transportation, referrals for medical/mental health resources and workshops
Debbie Bently-Lauzon, Executive Director of Wyndham House and the operator of the shelter, has expressed excitement “…about the work that is going on at the shelter and the initial results that demonstrate a multiple-service (or continuum of services) approach is working to support the youth in making positive steps towards living independently in their community.”
Renovations at the permanent Youth Shelter at 18 Norwich Street East are underway. Starting as an eight-bed facility, it will provide office space, shelter, on-site food preparation and dining, examination room and Registered Nurse Practitioner’s office, as well as counselling rooms. Renovations are being completed by KMA Contracting Inc. of Guelph and these are expected to be complete by the end of June 2009.