The OneRoof program developed by Kingston HomeBase, in Kingston, ON, was recently selected as one of the winners of the fourth annual Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Prevention Awards.
We spoke with Gennie Veryard, the supervisor of the OneRoof initiative, to gain insight into the project. We explored the rationale behind its design, how it addresses gaps in preventing youth homelessness, and much more.
About Kingston HomeBase’s OneRoof Program
OneRoof is a community initiative that provides wraparound services to at-risk and unhoused youth in Kingston and its surrounding areas. This comprehensive initiative aims to prevent youth homelessness by providing a variety of critical services and support systems to vulnerable youth in a single location, including:
- Housing case management
- Crime prevention case management
- Transitional housing
- Access to counselling and mental health services
- Life skills development training
Gennie goes on to explain:
“If they’re looking for any type of support, even if it’s a service we don’t necessarily provide here, they know they can come here and get connected and be given referrals, and it’s all really low barrier… They don’t necessarily need to make an appointment and let us know what they’re looking for [and] we connect them or provide the service directly.”
Improving Systems Navigation
In the past, youth services in Kingston and its surrounding areas were often siloed and disconnected, lacking a cohesive system. Gennie illustrated this issue during our discussion:
“So if you went to Ontario Works for financial support, they would then refer you to mental health supports… and then primary care was completely separate, so you would have to go to one of the health clinics here. While the services were available, having to take the bus or find transportation or set an appointment can be a lot for a young person who’s already going through a really tough time.”
As Gennie’s example shows, this fragmented approach made it difficult for youth already facing challenges to navigate to the support they needed. Recognizing this significant need, both the youth and the broader community came together to find a solution.
Kingston HomeBase was inspired by the concept of a central hub, where one agency coordinates various organizations providing services either in-kind or for a fee. Drawing inspiration from successful models in Guelph and Toronto, the initiative began as a loose collaboration of service providers offering drop-in services that varied daily. Leadership teams came together to improve support and staffing, starting with social services like housing, addiction help, and case management. Over time, the program expanded significantly, bolstered by community partnerships and funding from Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario and a federal crime prevention program.
Initially limited by space, the OneRoof initiative relocated and designed a more youth-friendly environment, incorporating input from young people who contributed by painting murals and optimizing the area. The new facility features a large kitchen for life skills training and has attracted more community partners, allowing for a broader range of support services.
Benefits of Partnership and Collaboration
OneRoof attributes much of the initiative’s success to the fact that they worked collaboratively to develop the service and continue to make use of partnerships as part of their daily operations.
As Gennie stated, “Every agency specializes in something different, so it’s important to bring together [different] service providers so that we can all be on the same page… Without the diversity of the service providers that support us, we could not do what we do. Also, I think because of how complex it is, it’s unrealistic to think that one agency could meet every need.”
Collaboration, Youth Involvement, and Other Lessons Learned
One of the key takeaways Gennie highlighted during our discussion was the significance of including youth in the planning and development stages to ensure that homelessness prevention programs meet their needs. As Gennie explained:
“When things have fallen flat, it’s generally because we didn’t listen to what the youth were saying, or the community didn’t listen and assumed that us as professionals knew best, and that’s not necessarily the case. So, what we’ve learned is that it’s really important to hear what the youth need, or think they need, or think they might need in the future.”
Another key takeaway Gennie shared was that in today’s funding landscape, where organizations compete for limited resources, it’s important to prioritize the main goal: supporting as many young people as possible to prevent youth homelessness. Setting aside competition and working together is crucial for achieving this objective.
Community Impact
Gennie shared a story about one of the young people who made use of the OneRoof initiative. This young person was in and out of shelters during the winter and in passing heard about OneRoof. They have been using the services at OneRoof almost every day since and are now in the process of moving into their own place.
Throughout their journey, they have become an integral part of the community at OneRoof, regularly volunteering and supporting others. They cook for fellow youth, help with programs, and organize outings. As Gennie explains, “[This is] a testament to the community that can be built for youth… and what that community can mean for the young folks that we work with.”
This is just one story highlighting the success of the OneRoof initiative. Since its inception, they have been able to assist over 250 young people and have prevented 32 youth from experiencing homelessness by providing stable housing and high-intensity case management with daily programming. This is part of the reason why OneRoof was selected as one of the winners of the 2024 Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Prevention Awards.
About the Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Prevention Awards
This year marked the fourth annual Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Prevention Awards Program. The Awards are presented by Canada Life and co-led by A Way Home Canada and the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. They were created to celebrate the important work happening to prevent youth homelessness in Canada.
Note: This blog post is part of a blog series highlighting the winners of the MtS Youth Homelessness Prevention Award Winners. To learn about the other award winner for 2024, read our blog here.