No questions asked at new refuges for homeless youth

Eight years ago Katie Lentzwas 17, homeless and addicted to drugs. The services she needed to get off the streetsweren't available then, she says, but that may be changing.

Vancouver Coastal Health opened the first-of-its-kind no-barrier homefor teens aged 15 to 19in East Vancouver last month.Youth Havenoffers a lessstructured environment than typical options forhomeless teens somethingthat Lentzsays is crucial.

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"The ability to have some breathing roomandto have the ability to come talk when we are ready, that is what Ineeded,"Lentzsays.

"I needed to get to a place where Iwas brokenenoughand vulnerable enough that Iwas willing to reach out for help. Ihave never seen it work when someone is prying at someone for questions and answers."

Opening up to help slowly

"We have heard from youth they want a place to stay where they don't necessarily have to give their name or where they are from or their whole history,"says MaryDowdallwithVancouver Coastal Health.

"It is really a place where they can come and relax and start to get to know us more and us get to know them more."

Dowdallsays there are no questions asked and pets are allowed. She saysyouth can stay anywhere from an hour to 30 nights and come by to have a shower, eat dinner or just get some sleep. She says a nurse, anelder and a counsellor are allavailableto talk to.

"[The] goal is to catch youth at the right time when [they're] contemplative, when saying this isn't working for me anymore,this life isn't working. Iam struggling with addiction and Ineed help now," saysDowdal.

"We want to be able to say, 'OKhere it is,' as opposed to: 'You can't get into a programbecause there is a one-week wait list.' "

Lentz, who was able to get off drugs at 19, says that's a key to recovery.

"Isee kids Iwent to school with whoare on Main and Hastings now who were passed around in the foster care system," Lentzsays.

"If they had had access to low-barrier, low-income housing when they were going through the early stages of all this and instead of being in foster homes and places that weren't working for them, this would have really made a difference."

And Lentzsays the issue has never been more urgent.

"I was pretty lucky. Inarrowly avoided the beginning of the fentanylcrisis and got clean," Lentzsays.

Two additional homes will also be available

Once teens have been to Youth Haven and gone to treatment, two other homes with a total of 10 beds will be there to support them.

Vancouver Coastal Health worked with B.C. Housing to secure the homes that with be run by the Pacific Community Resources Society.

Teens can stay for up to three months and have support for addictions and mental health issues before moving to more stable housing.

"Historically, if someone had an addictions issue that they wanted to get treatment for, but had an untreated mental health issue, then the addictions resource wouldn't take them in and vice versa,"says Debbie Anderson Eng the director of youth services withPCRS.

"Often people fell throughthe cracks becausethey had both issues going on."