Surge of racialized youth at risk of homelessness a critical problem, Brampton non-profit says

Veronica Dwira was 15 years old when her mother died and she was left alone with her older sister, struggling to afford rent in Brampton.After their landlord evicted them, she says, they had nowhere to turn.

"We're so young, paying our own bills," Dwira said.

"We would have been homeless or in a shelter, we wouldn't have [had] any help."

Now 17, Dwira says she and her two sisters have been getting support from REST Centres,a non-profit organization in Brampton that provides racialized youth at risk of homelessness with transitional housing and support.

Thatgroup is now sounding the alarm after it saysthe number of youth facing similar situations and seeking support in Peel Regionhas nearly tripled since the organization started operatingin2021.

Dagma Koyi, thecentre'sexecutive director, says she is worried the organization will not be able to keep up with the demand in the region and is calling for more support from all levels of government.

"Every day hundreds of BIPOC people across our cities are experiencing homelessness, and have great risk of homelessness for circumstances that are not their fault," Koyi said.

The centre says in its first year it took in 73 new clients. That number quickly grew in 2022 to 189. This year, the centre has accepted 116 new clients as of June, and is projecting to end the year with 232 total clients.

Sandra Dwira, 20, said if it weren't for the organization, she and her sisters would not know where to turn.

"It was pretty hard because we never really had the help to begin with," Dwira said. "We had to do things on our own. We didn't know where to start or where to go."

LISTEN | More racialized youth facing homelessness, Brampton charity says:

Koyi says the high cost of living, thehousing crisis and a lack of support for at-risk youthis bringing more people to their centre than ever before causing a "perfect storm.

"We want people to know that this is a critical problem," Koyi said. "We cannot afford to let our young people fall between the cracks."

Shelter demand 'outpacing our capacity': Peel

Peel Region says it is aware of the growing demand for housing and financial support for youth.

"We appreciate the work that REST is doing for the community through their work to prevent youth homelessness and support their transition to independent living," a spokesperson for Peel Region said in a statement to CBC Toronto.

"Currently the need for emergency shelter services is outpacing our capacity."

The statement linksthe surge in demandtothe increased number of refugees seeking emergency shelter and support.

In the fall, Peel willwill be adding 17beds in addition to the 48 beds already at Peel Youth Village in Brampton.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and are pursuing innovative and sustainable long-term solutions to support Peel residents including youth," the statement reads.

Sandra Dwira says RESThas offered her family critical support in addition to financial help and housing.

"There [are] people you can talk to here about what you're going through and how you're feeling," she said.

She says she hopes the organization will be able to continue to help those in similar situations.

"Alot of people out here need the help and they're not getting the help that they need."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check outBeing Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more storieshere.