Advancing Housing Equity for Black Youth in Peel and Toronto
REST Youth Council, REST Centre, and Community Allies
Joint Statement:
A CALL TO BOLD ACTION
Black youth in Peel and Toronto are at the epicentre of a worsening housing crisis—driven not by personal failure, but by systemic racism, intergenerational poverty, and institutional neglect. Though a demographic minority, Black youth are vastly overrepresented in homelessness statistics. This is not coincidental—it is structural. This is a crisis of equity. It demands urgent, coordinated action across sectors, led by and accountable to Black youth.
A Snapshot of Systemic Failure
Disproportionate Homelessness:
In Peel, over 50% of unhoused youth are Black.
At Eva’s Initiatives in Toronto, 82% of youth identify as Black.
Nearly 1 in 5 unhoused persons in Peel is aged 15–24.
Among youth from care, 41% identify as Black African, 13% as Afro-Caribbean or Afro-Latinx.
Institutional Pipelines to Displacement:
Compounded Barriers:
Black youth face racial discrimination in housing, limited culturally safe mental health supports, and systemic surveillance—reinforcing marginalization.
People First – Centre lived experience as policy expertise.
Positioning – Shift narratives from trauma to resilience and leadership.
Process – Institutionalize youth governance and decision-making power.
Performance – Mandate disaggregated race-based data to drive equity outcomes.
Policy – Enforce equity through legislation, funding, and accountability metrics.
Excerpts from the guiding principles were:
Framework for Change: The 5 Ps
Policy Demands
Cohort-Aligned Youth Housing:
Demand that the housing support continuum is aligned with age and life stage ensuring continuity of care and support into adulthood
Extended Supports:
Expand youth services to age 30 to reflect evolving adulthood.
Wraparound Services:
Provide holistic supports—mental health, legal aid, mentorship, financial literacy—rooted in cultural safety.
Affordable, Anti-Gentrification Housing:
Prioritize community-led, equity-driven models and collective ownership.
Legal Empowerment:
Strengthen tenant protections, enforce anti-discrimination laws, and build Black youth capacity through legal literacy and advocacy training
Fixing the Funding Architecture
Core, Multi-Year Funding:
Shift from short-term projects to stable, long-term operational investments in Black-led (B3) organizations.
Simplified, Trust-Based Granting:
Remove administrative burdens. Recognize lived experience as expertise.
Public–Philanthropic Alignment:
Align funding with the priorities defined by Black youth and communities.
Ensure equitable access to safe, affordable, and culturally relevant housing for Black youth
prioritize cohort-based youth housing supports in policy, equitable funding, and program design
Mandate and publish disaggregated race-based data.
Fund Black-led youth and housing initiatives directly.
Apply anti-racist, intersectional frameworks to all policies.
Cross-Sector Calls to Action
To Governments:
Prioritize core, unrestricted funding.
Invest in institutions, not just projects.
Honour lived experience as technical and leadership knowledge.
Centre Black youth leadership in collective action.
Confront anti-Black racism across all sectors.
Resource youth-led organizing and long-term movement building.
To Philanthropy:
To Community:
Join us in calling on all institutions to move from words to action —advancing systems change grounded in equity, driven by Black youth and sustained by long-term investment. By adding your name, you amplify the Joint Statement for Black Youth Housing Equity and help push for meaningful change
As Community Allies: We commit to sharing power, resourcing youth-led solutions, and staying in solidarity.
As Black Youth: We will continue to organize, advocate, and care for each other with courage and imagination.
As REST Centre: We will embed youth leadership into our DNA and hold systems accountable.
Get In Touch
Your Voice Matters
REST Centres Working Hours
Monday - Friday 5:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Sunday - Saturday 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Phone: 1-905-863-1118
Mississauga Office
Angela’s Place
45 Glen Hawthorne Blvd,
Mississauga, ON
L5R 4J9
Address
Brampton Office
Rest Centres
134 Queen St. E #406
L6V 1B