Young adults aging out of the foster care system have an affordable place in west Vancouver to call home, build rental history and find community with peers who have been through the same system.
While giving a tour of the newly renovated apartment complex on Monday, Denise Stone said there used to be an old fireplace in the largest unit that jutted out about 4 feet.
“It was dirty and smelly, and it really affected the quality of air,” said Stone, director of programs and asset management at Second Step Housing, a nonprofit that aims to end local homelessness.
It was one of many things wrong with the dilapidated residence on West 39th Street in Vancouver. That fireplace was torn out during remodeling, and today there’s a clean, white wall in its place. A blank slate is essentially what Second Step aims to provide former foster youth moving into the three-unit complex, called Horizon Place.
Last month, a young couple moved into one of the two-bedroom units with their 1-year-old baby. The family, who declined to be interviewed, had been homeless. They pay 30 percent of their income — or about $400 — in rent.
“They’ve expressed a ton of gratitude for this assistance and the chance to live at such a nice residence,” said Maddox Sprengel, a case manager at Janus Youth Programs. He helps the couple work toward goals that build self-sufficiency.
The couple gets rental assistance from Janus Youth, which serves homeless, runaway and at-risk youth in Oregon and Washington.
About one in four young people become homeless after aging out of foster care, according to a 2011 study commissioned by the state Department of Social and Health Services. Youth who were in both the foster care and juvenile justice systems are at increased risk of homelessness, as well as youth who had previously been unstably housed, changed schools frequently or had two or more foster care placements, revealed the study, called “Youth at Risk of Homelessness: Identifying Key Predictive Factors Among Youth Aging Out of Foster Care in Washington State.” Being a parent also increases their chance of becoming homeless.
“Having affordable housing is a game-changer for people. Currently, with a 2 percent vacancy rate and rents that are rising in Vancouver, young people can’t afford rent,” Sprengel said.
Foster youth age 18 to 24 struggle with a lack of resources, he said, whether it’s financially or a lack of family support.
Renovations
The residence used to belong to Vancouver Housing Authority, which deeded the property to Second Step. It’s a smaller complex than the housing authority is accustomed to managing, but it fit into Second Step’s portfolio of homes. Once a single-family home, it was converted into three two-bedroom apartments decades ago.
The city of Vancouver granted Second Step $165,876 in federal HOME funding to spend on bringing the three units up to code.
Craig Frantz, a housing rehab specialist with the city, oversaw the contracted work. The windows, floors and front siding were replaced, the plumbing and electrical work had to be revamped, the roof was replaced, new appliances were installed, all of the walls were repainted and one of the kitchens was gutted and redone.
“It’s just so different from when we first came here,” said Debby Dover, executive director of Second Step.
Horizon Place should be fully leased by the end of this month. Dover said she believes it’s the only complex in the county specifically serving youth aging out of foster care.
Potential tenants are referred to Second Step by agencies that work with young people, such as the Council for the Homeless’ Housing Solutions Center, Janus Youth Programs and YouthBuild Vancouver.
Dover said she would consider doing a similar project in the future and sees the viability in renovating smaller complexes such as Horizon Place.
“We want to make sure we can continue to keep up the affordable housing stock,” she said.
