About The Program
The Youth Resilience and Housing Stability (YRHS) developed and run by South Asian Canadian Health & Social Services (SACHSS), in Brampton, ON, was selected as a 2025 winner of the fifth annual Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Prevention Awards.
, is an award-winning, evidence-informed, culturally responsive program preventing youth homelessness through housing support, counselling, and care for South Asian youth.
YRHS offers a wide array of services for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness including, individual and group counselling, support with navigating homelessness and finding housing, as well as their own foster care program.
The team’s focus on understanding each youth’s unique needs and situations, alongside their emphasis on patience, positivity, and giving young people time and space to change for the better, is truly inspirational. We had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Maher Hussain, the Clinical Director of SACHSS to learn more about the organization and the YRHS program.
How the Program Fills Critical Gaps In Services
Prior to the creation of YRHS, when working in the community, the SACHSS team found that a lot of the youth they encountered had challenges with things like mental illness, addiction, and behavioural/developmental issues. Taking a Housing First for Youth approach, the team understands that youth seeking help with these challenges need a safe place for the best chance at success. Additionally, they found that youth in foster care face a higher risk of homelessness. By delivering culturally and linguistically appropriate supports, SACHSS plays a vital role in addressing the unique needs of South Asian youth.
“If the basic need [of housing] is not met, then it’s very difficult to deal with other issues.” – Dr. Maher Hussain
How and Why the Program Was Created
SACHSS has a history of working closely with the Children’s Aid Society. And through that partnership, they found that many of them were at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness. Directly responding to this problem, they developed YRHS.
“We had kids in our care who had friends who were at risk of being homeless, so we started helping those kids also.”
Program Impact
Dr. Hussain recalled the story of a 15-year-old girl who spent time in SACHSS’ foster care program. During her stay, she told staff about a close friend who had run away from an abusive home more than once. When he left home again, SACHSS reached out—offering him a safe place to stay, the support he needed, and help mediating with his family. With their guidance, he was eventually able to return home and rebuild those relationships. Today, he still keeps in touch with the SACHSS team—a reminder of how early intervention can change the course of a young person’s life.
Why This Prevention Program Is So Important
“We are doing our part and we are helping as many people we can.”
No single organization can meet every need alone. SACHSS focuses on filling critical gaps by providing culturally responsive supports, connecting youth to housing and care, and partnering with other agencies to make sure no young person falls through the cracks. It’s a model that shows what’s possible when collaboration turns compassion into action.
Key Lessons for Other Communities
- Meet youth where they are: Make an effort to understand the issues of each young person you work with
- Be patient and tolerant: Avoid ultimatums and give young people time and space to address challenges and/or conflicts
- Fill gaps in services: Understand that there is a gap in services which help young people with their housing needs and housing issues that communities need to fill
“As long as people are patient and positive, then things gradually change for the better. If they’re not patient, and if they are negative, then things get worse.”
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About the 2025 Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Prevention Awards
The Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Prevention Awards, presented by Canada Life and co-led by A Way Home Canada and the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, celebrate programs that are making real progress in preventing youth homelessness across 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 2025, read our blog here. And to learn about the 2025 honourable mention, read our blog here.