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How housing-based case management helped one young woman transform her life
These days, Taylor Doucette is busy, as most young adults are. She’s raising a baby boy while going to college and planning a wedding. This story may sound familiar, or even typical for many, but for Taylor, having this type of life wasn’t a given.
At 16, Taylor found herself without a home. She was moving from couch to couch every night, relying on friends to avoid sleeping outside. Sometimes she couldn’t find a place to stay, but she was too afraid to go home, to be rejected.
“It was the hardest time in my life because I didn't know who to contact. I didn't know what to do.” Taylor explained. “I thought that was going to be my life and that I would never see anything better.”
Eventually, she built up enough courage to reach out to the City of Ottawa to see if there was anyone that could help. Staff were able to connect her with a women’s shelter quickly and, for the first time in months, Taylor had some stability.
“During that time, I was staying at this place almost 24/7. I didn't want to go out because I enjoyed finally having a place to call my own.”
One day, she received a surprise visitor, courtesy of the City. “I got a knock on the door from this amazing lady named Justine. She basically informed me she knew my situation and that she might be able to help.” Taylor said, going over her first meeting with Justine, a program coordinator with the City’s housing and homelessness services who was working for the John Howard Society at the time.
Justine was there to see if Taylor would qualify for a new collaborative initiative from the City and sector partners, Youth Housing-Based Case Management (HBCM).
This new initiative was created following the establishment of the Housing First Program to help youth from 16 to 24 years old find housing. It also helps them learn relevant life skills and connects them with community supports, from employment to mental health services.
Justine was the John Howard Society’s first case manager under the new initiative, and Taylor was also her very first client. “I told her a little bit about myself, about the program and kind of set the stage.” explained Justine, going over how she first got Taylor enrolled in the Youth HBCM program. “She didn't have to make any decisions right away, but I really wanted to help her to find something that was not an emergency shelter.”
From there, Justine would help Taylor navigate the housing system, apply for the centralized waitlist, obtain identification cards, and other necessities. The process wasn’t always smooth, with a few bumps along the way, but Taylor slowly moved forward and made progress.
They also built-up Taylor’s life skills, made sure she was going to school, and ensured she had an income. During this time, she stayed in temporary shared accommodations, transitional housing, and eventually her own apartment with a housing allowance.
Justine remembers helping Taylor furnish the unit, hooking up utilities, and getting her renter’s insurance. “That was her apartment, and she furnished it with what she wanted. We went shopping at IKEA and we built that stuff together. She made it look the way she wanted it to look.”
Taylor has since graduated from the Youth HBCM program and has moved into a two-bedroom apartment with her son. Justine is proud of Taylor and the work they did together. “Despite how long it takes for someone to get to their goals, it's all a success, right? The success is in the journey, and she navigated a lot of stuff to get to where she is.”
For Taylor, the program has meant the world to her “It has changed my life for the better.” she said “This program gave me a roof over my head. It gave me the courage to go and find a job and create a better life for myself, and now my child.”
To learn more about how Housing-Based Case Management and the City of Ottawa’s Housing First Program are making a difference, check out the 2023 Progress Report on the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.
Did you know that the City is creating new housing options for Ottawa residents? In 2023 alone:
查看原文...
These days, Taylor Doucette is busy, as most young adults are. She’s raising a baby boy while going to college and planning a wedding. This story may sound familiar, or even typical for many, but for Taylor, having this type of life wasn’t a given.
At 16, Taylor found herself without a home. She was moving from couch to couch every night, relying on friends to avoid sleeping outside. Sometimes she couldn’t find a place to stay, but she was too afraid to go home, to be rejected.
“It was the hardest time in my life because I didn't know who to contact. I didn't know what to do.” Taylor explained. “I thought that was going to be my life and that I would never see anything better.”
Eventually, she built up enough courage to reach out to the City of Ottawa to see if there was anyone that could help. Staff were able to connect her with a women’s shelter quickly and, for the first time in months, Taylor had some stability.
“During that time, I was staying at this place almost 24/7. I didn't want to go out because I enjoyed finally having a place to call my own.”
One day, she received a surprise visitor, courtesy of the City. “I got a knock on the door from this amazing lady named Justine. She basically informed me she knew my situation and that she might be able to help.” Taylor said, going over her first meeting with Justine, a program coordinator with the City’s housing and homelessness services who was working for the John Howard Society at the time.
Justine was there to see if Taylor would qualify for a new collaborative initiative from the City and sector partners, Youth Housing-Based Case Management (HBCM).
This new initiative was created following the establishment of the Housing First Program to help youth from 16 to 24 years old find housing. It also helps them learn relevant life skills and connects them with community supports, from employment to mental health services.
Justine was the John Howard Society’s first case manager under the new initiative, and Taylor was also her very first client. “I told her a little bit about myself, about the program and kind of set the stage.” explained Justine, going over how she first got Taylor enrolled in the Youth HBCM program. “She didn't have to make any decisions right away, but I really wanted to help her to find something that was not an emergency shelter.”
From there, Justine would help Taylor navigate the housing system, apply for the centralized waitlist, obtain identification cards, and other necessities. The process wasn’t always smooth, with a few bumps along the way, but Taylor slowly moved forward and made progress.
They also built-up Taylor’s life skills, made sure she was going to school, and ensured she had an income. During this time, she stayed in temporary shared accommodations, transitional housing, and eventually her own apartment with a housing allowance.
Justine remembers helping Taylor furnish the unit, hooking up utilities, and getting her renter’s insurance. “That was her apartment, and she furnished it with what she wanted. We went shopping at IKEA and we built that stuff together. She made it look the way she wanted it to look.”
Taylor has since graduated from the Youth HBCM program and has moved into a two-bedroom apartment with her son. Justine is proud of Taylor and the work they did together. “Despite how long it takes for someone to get to their goals, it's all a success, right? The success is in the journey, and she navigated a lot of stuff to get to where she is.”
For Taylor, the program has meant the world to her “It has changed my life for the better.” she said “This program gave me a roof over my head. It gave me the courage to go and find a job and create a better life for myself, and now my child.”
To learn more about how Housing-Based Case Management and the City of Ottawa’s Housing First Program are making a difference, check out the 2023 Progress Report on the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.
Did you know that the City is creating new housing options for Ottawa residents? In 2023 alone:
- Over 700 new affordable housing options were created for low- to moderate-income households;
- Over 300 households were housed through the Housing First program; and
- Over 380 individuals with a history of chronic homelessness were housed.
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