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.

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