Ending youth homelessness starts with preventing it in the first place, say advocates
High cost of living and less affordable housing means more people are at risk of homelessness
Image | Jen Crowe
Caption: Jen Crowe, executive director of Choices for Youth, says fighting homelessness — especially for youth — the best measure of success lies in prevention services that help young people before their situations reach a crisis. (Arlette Lazarenko/CBC)
Newfoundland and Labrador youth advocates say the key to keeping youth off the streets, their bellies full and surrounded by community, is to focus on prevention services.
Jen Crowe, executive director of Choices for Youth, says her organization has updated its mandate from helping youth aged 16 to 29 to as early as infancy. That's because they want to catch as many people as possible before they find themselves in a crisis, she said.
"How do we work to ensure that they're not vulnerable in the first place?" Crowe said. "And the answer is we start by focusing on them when they are children and even younger than that."
In a previous interview, Crowe said there are 200 youth on a housing waitlist in St. John's.
With a cost of living that keeps climbing, she says many families are forced to choose between rent and food. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, she added, the definition of who is at risk of homelessness or food insecurity is expanding to include more people.
Youth are especially at risk of chronic homelessness, says Stephen Geatz, president of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. He says research from the federal government indicates almost half of the people who experienced homelessness had their first experience before the age of 25, with the predominant age being between 15 and 19.
"The good news is we now know a lot about what to do," he said. "We've got preventive interventions that have solid evidence for their effectiveness."
WATCH | The Signal with a panel of experts and advocates on helping youth avoid a crisis:
Media Audio | The Signal : System fixes for vulnerable youth in N.L.
Caption: Today on the show we speak with experts and avocates who have frontline perspectives on what vulnerable youth are facing in Newfoundland and Labrador. We talk housing, food insecurity, mental health struggles, and the justice system -- from gaps to fixes.
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Melissa Power coordinates the school-based program Upstream Canada N.L., which currently has staff in four schools in the province where they identify and help youth and their families at risk.
"We all want youth to get their education and to be employed and to contribute to our society," Power said. "But for a lot of these young people, they are in survival mode. They're just trying to figure out their next step."
Figuring out the next step is where the program comes in.
If a youth needs help with mental health because they are suffering from anxiety or depression, the program provides them access to those services. If they need more food at home, assistance with getting to appointments, or support for family members who have lost their jobs, the program helps with that as well.
Image | Melissa Power
Caption: Melissa Power works for Choices for Youth as the coordinator of the Upstream Canada Newfoundland and Labrador program. It's a prevention-based school program that works with youth to identify issues — from mental and physical health to financial challenges at home — and works with them and their families to resolve them. (Arlette Lazarenko/CBC)
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"The beauty of prevention is that we can really start that process early. But it requires, from my perspective, that that young person has what they need when they need it," Crowe said. "That involves embedding services like what we provide, but also so many other incredible organizations across this province, within the school system as much as possible."
Crowe says the approach should focus not just on investing in emergency shelters, but also on making housing affordable.
"Because we're in a state of crisis right now … the crisis response often feels like, well, we need to make sure that these folks have a place to stay tonight," she said. "But we need to also make sure that they have a place to stay in a year, in two years, in five years, in 10 years, and that they can build a life that makes sense for them and their family."
That means not only building more housing and making rent affordable, but also helping families maintain a steady income. Crowe points to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit provided during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a drastic decrease in family and child poverty.
And when youth face a crisis — mental health issues, substance abuse, or family breakdown — these challenges intertwine, making the services needed to help more complex, Crowe said.
"We really need to tackle all three of those things: housing stock, financial security and mental health and other wraparound services in order to really address this mounting issue of homelessness."
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- Winnipeg Free Press
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Winnipeg Free Press
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Cision Canada
18 hours ago
- Cision Canada
GSK invests $300,000 to help launch the Pharmacy Innovation in Immunization Research Collaborative (PIIRC) at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy Français
PIIRC serves as a catalyst for innovation by supporting interdisciplinary research and real-world evidence generation focused on improving vaccine access, delivery and education. MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - GSK is proud to announce a $300,000 investment in the Pharmacy Innovation in Immunization Research Collaborative (PIIRC), a new national initiative led by the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo. This groundbreaking initiative reflects a shared commitment to expanding the role of pharmacy in Canada's immunization landscape and improving equitable access to vaccines across the country. Immunization has never been more critical. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the life-saving power of vaccines and demonstrated the essential role that pharmacists and pharmacies play in public health. Pharmacy teams have administered more than 20 million COVID-19 vaccines in Canada alone. Yet, there remains untapped potential to leverage the country's 11,000+ pharmacies as accessible, community-based hubs for broader immunization services. PIIRC aims to close that gap. Launched by the largest clinical pharmacy practice research group in Canada, PIIRC serves as a catalyst for innovation by supporting interdisciplinary research and real-world evidence generation focused on improving vaccine access, delivery and education. The initiative brings together researchers from the University of Waterloo, national and international collaborators, policymakers and stakeholders across healthcare and industry to advance pharmacy-based immunization strategies. "As a global leader in vaccines, we believe in harnessing science and partnerships to tackle the world's most pressing health challenges," said Michelle Horn, Country Medical Director, GSK Canada. "Through our founding partnership with PIIRC, we are investing not only in research, but in the future of vaccine delivery in Canada—one that is more accessible, equitable, and community-centred." Transforming Immunization Through Pharmacy Innovation The objective of PIIRC is to re-imagine the role of pharmacy in immunization—from vaccine administration to health education, monitoring, and system design. Areas of research will include: Expanding the role of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians as vaccine educators, facilitators, and immunizers Overcoming barriers to access, especially among rural residents, older adults, immunocompromised individuals, and other underserved populations Leveraging digital health tools and technology to support clinical decision-making and personalized outreach Countering vaccine misinformation through evidence-based communication strategies and resources for healthcare providers Conducting economic analyses to examine the cost-effectiveness and public health value of pharmacy-based vaccine services Implementing science methodologies to ensure successful and scalable solutions across regions and populations This work will be supported by the School's extensive expertise in pharmacy practice research, health systems design, health economics, public policy, behavioural science, and communication strategies. "As a leader in clinical pharmacy practice research and community pharmacy innovation, the University of Waterloo's School of Pharmacy continues to push boundaries," said Andrea Edginton, Hallman Director, School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo. "PIIRC is a natural evolution of our work in immunization, and GSK's partnership will accelerate breakthroughs that improve public health both in Canada and globally." Impact Beyond the Lab In addition to funding innovative research, GSK's investment will also: Provide funding to support new interdisciplinary projects with direct policy and practice implications Train the next generation of immunization researchers, including PharmD students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows Facilitate enhanced access to real-world pharmacy data to monitor vaccine uptake and identify areas for intervention Establish a network of community pharmacies engaged in research, data collection and pilot projects Enable regular knowledge translation activities to ensure research is informed by and disseminated to industry, government and community stakeholders Support the creation of an Advisory Board that includes voices from pharmaceutical and insurance companies, regulators, pharmacy associations and the public Strategic Alignment with Public Health and Policy This investment directly supports the Ontario Life Sciences Strategy by demonstrating private sector leadership in supporting community-based immunization services. By investing in evidence that shows how pharmacy can help achieve broader public health goals—including for future vaccine program rollouts such as RSV—GSK is playing a critical role in advancing both healthcare outcomes and policy development. "Our support for PIIRC is not just about generating data; it's about making a meaningful contribution to the future of healthcare," added Michelle Horn, Country Medical Director, GSK Canada. "We're proud to stand alongside the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy in driving innovative, patient-centred immunization strategies that reflect our mission to get ahead of disease together and our commitment to doing what's right for communities and for public health." Why Waterloo and Why Now? The University of Waterloo's collaborative ethos, track record of external partnerships and commitment to impact make it an ideal home for PIIRC. The University creates substantial opportunities for high-impact partnerships that bridge the gap between research and application. PIIRC helps shape policy and guides decision-making with timely, actionable evidence that reflects the realities of patients, pharmacists and public health professionals. GSK's early and decisive investment solidifies its reputation as a forward-thinking leader in the pharmacy space and a partner of choice in advancing vaccine innovation. About the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy The School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo is home to Canada's largest clinical pharmacy practice research group and is at the forefront of pharmacy innovation. Through interdisciplinary research and industry collaboration, the School is advancing pharmacy's role in improving health systems and patient outcomes. About GSK GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. Find out more at Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described in the "Risk Factors" section in GSK's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2024, and GSK's Q1 Results for 2025. SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
