Some Montreal youth are getting a special gift this holiday season – a home.
Dans la Rue, an organization that has long helped Montreal's street youth, is offering apartments and a fresh start to those who need it.
At 26, Yanick Gaudreault is one of a handful of people chosen to live in a new complex built by Dans la Rue after living a few years on the streets.
“It's been rough,” he said. “I lived in the streets, then with a girlfriend, but that didn't end well.”
Dans la Rue estimates that there are hundreds of youth without a home in Montreal.
Executive Director Cecile Arbaud said for those left out in the cold, every day is about surviving, rather than moving forward.
“It's a cycle. You have to find a meal, then you have to find a place to stay, and then you can't do anything with your life and then it's going on and on,” she said.
The new apartments are designed to give a lucky few a sense of stability and a fresh start.
“This will help me find a job and get my driver's licence back,” said Gaudreault.
More than 20 people will move into the 17 units; 15 single apartments and two for families.
Once everyone is settled in, the organization will continue to offer support and counselling to reintegrate into society.
“They've been from foster homes, to youth centres and have never had any kind of daily life skills or training or support to move forward,” said Arbaud.
To help ease them into the daily routine, those chosen to live in the building will have to put about 25 per cent of their earnings towards rent.
They’ll start moving in sometime next week, right in time for the holidays.
