New Supportive Housing Units for Youth in Glace Bay

Young people who need a safe, supportive place to call home will soon have an option in Glace Bay, a first in the region.

The Department of Community Services is providing $583,870 in annual funding for the Supportive Living Program at Abbey Ridge, a project of the Undercurrent Youth Centre in Glace Bay. The home will have eight spaces for youth aged 16 to 21, with six spaces for transitional or permanent residents and two for emergency situations.

“Abbey Ridge will be home to these young people,” says Karla MacFarlane, Minister of Community Services. “It will give them a supportive environment where they can learn the life skills they’ll need for adulthood and independent living.”

Residents in the supportive living program will be youth who are at high risk of negative outcomes due to lack of resources, supports and experiences with homelessness. The program aims to empower and support youth to achieve their personal goals and to be their own advocate.

Funding provided by the department will support staffing and programming, ensuring that residents have access to resources that address their individual needs.

Quotes:

“Our organization is so grateful for this new partnership. Abbey Ridge has been a long-time dream of Undercurrent that is finally coming to life thanks to the funding committed by the Department of Community Services to further support the youth in our community. The Supportive Living Program is going to provide a safe, supervised, and supportive transitional housing option for some of our community’s most vulnerable youth. We look forward to helping the youth at Abbey Ridge reach their own personal goals through support, empowerment, and advocacy.”

– Larissa Rodriguez, Executive Director, Abbey Ridge

Quick Facts:

• the Province previously provided funding to Undercurrent for a new community hub: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20220811002
• Undercurrent Youth Centre will continue to receive about $95,000 in annual funding from the department to support a number of initiatives

Additional Resources:

Mandate letter of the Minister of Community Services: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-DCS-OLA-SOW.pdf