HOMELESSNESS

The term "homelessness" is commonly thought to refer to those sleeping on the streets - those who literally have no home. However, homelessness also includes those who have substandard housing and those living in abusive or otherwise unhealthy situations because they have no alternative. Homelessness means belonging nowhere, not just having nowhere to sleep.

Although there are agencies working to reduce the rise of homeless, we lack adequate resources to meet the needs of homeless youth in our region, in particular youth aged sixteen and older.

MONCTON YOUTH RESIDENCES INC.

1. Moncton Youth Residences Inc. (MYR) has been working to help at-risk youth in the Moncton area since the 1980's.  It is MYR’s directive to provide care and guidance to youth between the ages of ten and twenty who have social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties.  MYR offers a broad range of programs and services to this end.  Today, MYR is well established as a leader in providing such programs and services in our region, serving hundreds of youth and families each year.
2.  In March 2002, as a response to community needs, MYR launched a new branch of services under the name Youth Q.U.E.S.T. that includes Transitional Housing, QUEST Case Management, and Youth QUEST Central as a Resource/Outreach Centre.  The philosophy behind this new branch of services is ensuring assistance to homeless and potentially homeless youth through Quality, Understanding, Empowerment, Self-sufficiency, and Transition.

YMCA OF GREATER MONCTON

1. The YMCA of Greater Moncton has been serving the community since 1870.  As a charitable association, the YMCA ensures the growth of all people in spirit, mind and body and with a sense of responsibility to each other and the global community through the provision of social, educational and recreational programs and services to people of all ages and regardless of ability to pay.

In June 2001, the YMCA initiated the ReConnect Street Intervention program, in partnership with Downtown Moncton Centre-ville.  ReConnect provides short-term and long-term assistance through outreach to youth and adults who are homeless or at-risk of being homeless, all in an effort to increase their knowledge of available resources (i.e. food, clothing, shelter, education, employment and counseling) and to provide support in accessing them.

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