CAUSES & PROGRAMS
This percentage of homeless youth have experienced some form of childhood trauma and abuse.
14%, 55%, 63%
63%
In what year did Helix House open?
2023, 2024, 2022
YWS allows youth between the ages of __ to __ to access their shelter and services.
16 - 24
1 in this amount of youth in Toronto will experience homelessness over the course of a year.
300, 100, 5
100
Homeless people are homeless because they don't work.
Myth... Many homeless people are among the working poor. A person earning a minimum wage can’t earn enough to support a family of three or pay inner-city rent.
This percentage of youth experiencing homelessness report at least one suicide attempt.
42%, 33%, 23%
42%
1974, 1986, 1998
1986... A group of teachers and guidance counsellors saw the lack of safe, emergency housing and support programs for their students in need, and decided to join together to create Youth Without Shelter.
YWS Emergency Services offers this many shelter beds.
12, 33, 108
33
This percentage of homeless people in Toronto are made up of youth.
83%, 11%, 6%
11%
All homeless people are mentally ill.
Myth... About 39% of youth experiencing homelessness in Toronto are estimated to be struggling with mental health issues (such as extremely high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression), while 14% have a diagnosed mental health illness.
What does SIS mean?
Stay in School Program... This program offers 20-bed long-term transitional housing for youth dedicated to completing their education within a safe and stable environment with support and guidance from qualified staff.
In October 2023 what was the average amount of call YWS received per day?
46, 183, 291
291
This type of shelter serves individuals and families experiencing homelessness with or without a referral. The typical length of stay in this shelter is intended to be of short duration.
Emergency Shelter which off the support services required to move clients into housing.
This percentage of people experiencing homelessness in Toronto will have first experienced homelessness before the age of 16.
16%, 11%, 32%
32%
You have to be careful around all homeless people. They are dangerous.
Myth... Sometimes an encounter with the homeless may end in tragedy. However, this is extremely rare. In general, the homeless are among the least threatening group in our society. They are often the victims of crimes, not the perpetrators.
What number of programs are offered through YWS?
6, 4, 9
9
Between 2021 and 2022 how many youth were served within YWS?
102, 187, 97
187... 165 of those youth used the Emergency Program and 22 were enrolled in the Stay in School Program.
This type of shelter serves individuals and families with a referral from an emergency shelter, Central Intake, Streets to Homes Assessment and Referral Centre (SHARC) or another agency. Clients cannot self-refer. The typical length of stay in this shelter is intended to be longer to enable clients to address their particular housing and service needs.
Transitional Shelters provide specialized programming; clients are assessed for eligibility prior to admission.
Up to this amount of youth are homeless on any given night in Toronto.
2000, 710, 80
2,000
All homeless people abuse some type of drug.
Myth... Some homeless are substance abusers; research suggests one in five. Many of these are included in the 39% who suffer from mental illness.
What percentage of YWS residents are black?
90%
YWS Life Skills Program.
What of the following services are not offered within YWS?
Free Medical Services, Free Emergency Shelter, Affordable Housing, Therapy and Diagnoses, Art Therapy
ALL ARE OFFERED! Between the many programs and different types of housing, YWS has so many things to offer youth experiencing homelessness.
1 in this number of shelter users in Canada are youth.
1:2, 1:5, 1:10
5
Most homeless people live on the streets.
Myth... Most homeless people don’t live on the street. In Toronto, more than 90% of the overall homeless population are staying in sheltered services.