If you think it’s tough to find affordable rental accommodations in Metro Vancouver, just try finding housing if you’re a youth who is transitioning out of foster care.
Aunt Leah’s Place started the Friendly Landlord Network as a way of helping foster youth find rental housing after they age out of care. In addition to compiling a listing of rental accommodations willing to house youth who are leaving foster care, the program provides ongoing supports such as monthly check-ins and financial support to ensure tenants pay their rent on time.
“It has helped us find safe and affordable housing, where we are now able to thrive and connect with our community,” said Ronda Merrill-Parkin, a single mother of two children. “I feel confident in my everyday life, and I don’t have to feel insecure about not having a place to call our own.”
Merrill-Parkin said the program is important because it enables youth who may not have references or credit to make connections with landlords, without being worried there may be a bias as a result of their being involved with children’s services.
Christina Grammenos, community engagement coordinator with New Westminster-based Aunt Leah’s Place, said about 700 youth age out of care every year in B.C. She said statistics show that nearly 300 individuals are expected to age out in the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s North Fraser district, which includes New Westminster and Burnaby, in the coming years.
“The most important thing is that youth are finding housing, which is incredible,” Grammenos said of the program. “We wish the numbers were higher. We wish more landlords were offering opportunities. Understanding the rental market, I guess it is not that surprising.”
Since getting underway two years ago, the program has helped house or rehouse about 20 young people.
“We try to make it as easy and supportive as possible, so we have housing workers who are able to do monthly check-ins and be the person to call should anything come up,” Grammenos said. “But we are also looking for people who want to be part of the solution to youth homelessness and make a difference for young people who don’t have the same advantages as their parents and peers.”
While it’s challenging for people of all ages to find housing in Metro Vancouver, Grammenos said it can be even more difficult for young people who don’t have a credit history, may not have references, are competing with young professionals or families with stable jobs or have been in government care.
“Generally, youth face a few more barriers if they are coming from care than the average person might face,” she said. “To start with, Canadians in general are staying at home longer and longer.”
According to Statistics Canada’s 2016 Census, 62.6 per cent of Canadians aged 20 to 24 lived with their parents. Among those aged 20 to 34 years, 34.7 per cent lived with their parents.
While it’s taking longer for young Canadians to get on their feet and live on their own, that’s often not an option for youth who age out of government care at 19, Grammenos said.
“At 19, they can’t necessarily go back to live with their parents, because that wasn’t an option,” she said. “They are having to make it on their own, and at the same time figure out their career, figure out a way of supporting themselves and all of that.”
Patrice Impey’s grown children were able to live at home until they were ready to move out on their own, but that’s not always the case for youth who have been in foster care. The Vancouver resident provided short-term housing through the program when her daughter moved.
“One of the benefits is they take care of all the work – they came and took pictures, put it on their website, told me how much was a reasonable rent. They really organized the whole thing. They found the tenant and got to know her,” Impey said. “It worked out really well. We didn’t have any issues, but they said if there were any problems, you could contact the landlord network, so it makes it super easy for people who aren’t normally in the business of renting. They did a great job.”
Because Impey’s goal wasn’t to make money by renting out the small apartment in her home, she was pleased to rent it to someone through the Friendly Landlord Network.
“You are not going to ask for regular market rent – you are going to be at the lower end because that is who your clientele is, but that is fine for many people. You are doing it because you want somebody to be able to utilize the space. It is very hard to find places to rent in Vancouver – certainly if you don’t have a credit rating, are a young person, don’t have a job or are in school,” she said. “It’s just a really terrific program because they provide the support to the landlord and the tenant. You can’t get much better than that.”
The Friendly Landlord Network in always in need of landlords who have studio or one- or two-bedroom apartments or suites they’re willing to rent out to young people involved in the program.
“They (landlords) do appreciate the fact that it’s not like we are trying to make a connection and then walk away. What we are trying to do is provide ongoing support,” Grammenos said. “The check-ins and having someone to call is not something that the present market would provide – you are just taking a gamble based on your best guess, a credit check or that kind of thing. I am sure that landlords out there generally say part of it is luck in terms of whether you have a good tenant or not, but at least in this scenario you have someone who can support you through and understand the tenancy process if you need help navigating that.”
To learn more about the Friendly Landlord network, please visit https://bit.ly/2wALng9.
