Safe house gets smaller funding boost

The local Iron Horse Youth Safe House is boasting a few more bucks thanks to a provincial grant.

The funding announcement was made Thursday as part of the Housing Matters BC strategy. It will see $80,000 directed to the safe house to be used for hiring a third outreach worker.

The funding, says Iron Horse project manager Dave Speers, must last the organization three years. The new outreach worker, he added, will be funded for 16 hours per week, which will help.

"What it really does is it adds a complement to what we're currently doing," Speers said.

Having only two outreach workers covering a seven-day work week "stretches their time," said Speers. That extra hand, he said, "gives us flexibility."

Each outreach worker manages a caseload of between 40 and 50 clients, he said, which is "manageable" but the challenge involves covering off all the hours and going out into the community to connect with the youth.

"Because of the geography of Maple Ridge and going to the physical locations where the clients travel - we can only do so much in a day," he said.

The current outreach workers, he explained, "are getting pulled and stretched, and it's nice to have that third person."

The Iron Horse Youth Safe House is a five-bed facility open for homeless youth aged 13 to 18. Youth are encouraged to stay at the safe house for up to 30 days. During that time, they must work on a personal action plan.

The Alouette Home Start Society operates the safe house.

published on 10/20/2006