For youth experiencing homelessness, the journey from chaos and crisis to stability often starts at one of Eva’s emergency shelter sites. At both Eva’s Place and Eva’s Satellite Hotel, youth receive immediate support day and night from our expert staff. We spoke with Helder, Senior Site Manager at Eva’s Place, to learn about the current conditions there.   “We're seeing real needs: youth coming from child welfare, sometimes the criminal justice system, the hospital, the airport, or the street,” [...]

Accessing affordable housing in Toronto is a challenge for most people. For Black youth, it comes with additional obstacles. “Young people are struggling to secure a lease and rent is incredibly high for everyone. It doesn’t help when, for many different reasons—sometimes barriers and discrimination around their age, ethnicity, lack of references, or sources of income—a lot of landlords pick and choose who they will rent to,” said Linda, an Eva’s Housing Support Worker. Linda, Housing Worker, at [...]

Eva’s and Home Depot are on a journey together. In 2012, the Home Depot Canada Foundation committed to preventing and ending youth homelessness in Canada. Since then, it’s invested $50 million in housing, employment and life skills, prevention, and research. It plans to dedicate $125 million to the cause by 2030. “We support over 200 organizations annually and Eva’s has been a strategic partner since the beginning because they’ve been a leader in this space for many years. As [...]

There’s a lot to learn about living on your own. For youth who have experienced homelessness, trauma, and systemic barriers, the learning curve can be steep. “It’s tough to transition from being in an emergency state in a shelter. Living at Eva’s Phoenix is a time to stabilize and build on the skills you need to live on your own and keep up with work or school,” said Natalie, program facilitator of the life skills program. Natalie, the [...]

After leaving home abruptly, Amir had nowhere to sleep and could barely afford to eat. He worked in a warehouse every day but wasn’t making enough to get by. “It was one of the lowest pits of my life. My mental health was in tatters. I had moments of wanting to give up,” he said. When he was accepted into Eva’s Phoenix, he was ready to change his life. “I took every opportunity that was offered to me. In [...]

The youth we serve at Eva’s learn about systemic barriers.  Youth experiencing homelessness are more likely to be Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+, newcomer, and/or immigrant youth. According to a 2021 Toronto Street Needs Assessment, 78% of youth experiencing homelessness identified as a member of a racialized group; 43% identified as Black  By the time they reach Eva’s, youth have likely experienced direct racism and discrimination and have been affected by inequities in child welfare, education, employment, health care, justice, [...]

For many people, COVID-19 is no longer a daily concern. But in congregate living situations, like Eva’s shelter and two transitional housing locations, it is still very much a reality. In early 2022, the City of Toronto earmarked funding for every shelter in the city to create an infection, prevention and control (IPAC) lead position to oversee the risks and manage outbreaks of any transmissible virus or disease. “IPAC goes beyond COVID-19. We saw that with the introduction of [...]

During Black History Month, celebrations to recognize the history and contributions of Black Canadians have been taking place across the country. Inspired by a recent visit to Eva’s Place, Member of Parliament for Don Valley East, Michael Coteau, took a moment before the House of Commons proceedings to pay respect to our founder, Eva Smith. MP Coteau spoke about Eva and thanked her for her work as an advocate to address youth homelessness in the community.     Eva’s staff, [...]

There’s nothing like a special meal to elevate an ordinary day. It can brighten a mood, bring people together and create lasting memories of important events. That’s why Eva’s Phoenix Foodservice Coordinator Leanne Rabinowitz makes sure there is often cause for celebration in her kitchen. “Life can be hard and stressful for all of us. Celebration is important,” she said. Whether it’s someone’s birthday, St. Patrick’s Day, Ramadan or International Pancake Day, Leanne often plans her menu around simple [...]

For young people experiencing homelessness, the holidays can be a challenging time of year. We are grateful to our front-line staff and our community of supporters who made it special by donating meals, holiday decorations, wellness and essential items, gift cards and hosting holiday parties and activities. These gifts and events provided the young people with opportunities to come together and share in the season’s celebrations. We are thrilled to announce that more than 1,400 donors raised over $950,000! [...]

When youth move into Eva’s Phoenix, they’re handed a key—and a support system designed to launch them into a fulfilling, independent life. For many, it’s the first time they’ve had either. The program houses 50 young people among 10 shared townhouse-style units. Each youth has their own bedroom and access to shared spaces such as bathrooms, kitchens, and study areas. “The youth are here for one year, and the focus is to help them develop the life skills they [...]

Many parents make difficult decisions to do what they see as best for their children. For Desran’s mother, that meant leaving him behind with his family in St. Vincent and moving to Canada to work and lay the groundwork for their new life. When he was finally able to join her at 15 years old, it was difficult for them to connect because they had lived apart for so many years. “We didn’t really have much communication,” he explains, [...]