by Katharina Stocker | photo courtesy NIȽ TU,O Child & Family Services –
For 30+ years, Threshold Housing Society has worked to prevent homelessness for at-risk youth aged 15 to 24. At Threshold, youth find a home where they are accepted for who they are. Currently, Threshold has 25 units throughout the Capital Regional District.
Along with housing, Threshold provides counseling and other support.
Now, Threshold is working with NIȽ TU,O Child and Family Services Society to better serve Indigenous youth – who account for 40% of their cases.
Executive Directors Katharina Stocker of NIȽ TU,O and Colin Tessier of Threshold are leading the charge. “We came together because we have aligned values and work with similar populations,” Tessier says. “It’s only been in recent years that we’ve actually started to lean into what reconciliation means and what it means to provide a safe and culturally-appropriate atmosphere for the Indigenous youth we support.”
Through partnership with NIȽ TU,O, funds are provided to ensure Coast Salish youth have access to Threshold’s services.
Tessier says now that cultural programming exists, Threshold can’t believe they went without it. So far, programming includes a wellness worker who helps Indigenous youth explore culture and ceremony.
Recently, Threshold hosted an Indigenous youth festival and invited the community to join.
Next up, the two organizations will redevelop an 18-unit, youth-centred housing project. The building is called Forrest House (artist’s rendering shown above) and the new construction will utilize traditional building practices, red and black colours, and other Coast Salish design elements.
“We want to design the space so it physically looks and feels appropriate for Indigenous youth who will be there,” Tessier says. The partnership with NIȽ TU,O, known for providing culturally-appropriate support to Coast Salish youth, will help Threshold “create a safe, stable, life-giving environment for Indigenous youth.”
The design of the new building is inspired by a story shared with Threshold where a NIȽ TU,O staff member, walking down Oak Bay Avenue where this building will be located, could not help but notice that there was nothing within eyesight that represented the local Coast Salish culture. The staffer shared: “With NIȽ TU,O’s experience renovating the offices, we knew how important it is to provide a culturally safe space, and that means using traditional building methods, practices and designs.”
“We are excited to partner with Threshold to help reduce the amount of unhoused Coast Salish youth,” continues Stocker. “These programs go a long way to counteract the ongoing harms of colonialism and return children and youth home.”
The project is currently seeking funding. To donate, visit www.thresholdhousing.ca/donate.
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