Wind Youth Services (Wind) believes that promoting the safety, shelter and self-determination of all youth experiencing homelessness, including those who are unstably or unsafely housed – regardless of their ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, sobriety status, engagement in the sex trades, and legal history – is fundamental, not only to their human rights, but also to the promotion of a more socially just and equitable society. The quest for social justice underpins all of the work of Wind Youth Services. We recognize that youth experiencing homelessness experience daily oppression, on the institutional and interpersonal level, placing them at greater risk of incarceration, violence, long-term poverty, disenfranchisement, and disempowerment regarding their position and value in society. Parents, loved ones, social services providers, mental health professionals, and medical professionals all care deeply about supporting these young people. However, historical and current treatment and service delivery to youth experiencing homelessness often unintentionally disempowers them and provides short-term solutions to homelessness without addressing root causes and empowering the youth with whom they work.
