Victoria Native Friendship Centre aims to build housing for Indigenous youth

Victoria Native Friendship Centre's housing goals The Victoria Native Friendship Centre aims to build housing for Indigenous youth.

Succeeding in school, excelling at parenting and applying for jobs is far less challenging when you've landed a place to live. That's often easier said than done for young people in Victoria.

So, a local organization is planning to build homes with those young people in mind.

At 26, Aly Waddell is having a hard time finding a place to rent.

"It's so competitive with market housing," says the Victoria Native Friendship Centre youth team leader. "Rental prices are insane."

Now imagine you need a roof over your head, but you're 19 and fresh out of foster care.

"They can’t afford market rent; they’re on the wait list for other youth housing programs here; they don’t have family they can stay with," Waddell says.

Friendship centre staff want to build a home for those young people, whether they're students, parents or transitioning out of care.

"[It's] so that you are set up for the next phase of success in your life," says Ron Rice, executive director of the friendship centre.

The plan is to build up to 45 units at an undisclosed location. It would be for Indigenous people aged 18 to 24, with room for a couple elders on each floor.

"Feeling like you have someone who you can tell your worry or your idea or your good news, and to build that community within a residential structure begins to sort of form that village," says Rice.

The friendship centre has succeeded with similar supportive housing, building Siem Lelum on Gorge Road a few years ago.

"By introducing this group and anchoring them into what will become their little village, [we hope] that it will be seen as a bright shining star in a very happy neighbourhood," Rice says.

The friendship centre is about $1 million away from its $2.6-million fundraising goal to buy the land for the housing in Victoria.

From there, the hope is the federal or provincial government will help pay for construction.

"It's definitely going to change many, many youths' lives," Waddell says.