To amplify youth voices in the fight for affordable housing and skilled trades, Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington has launched the 'Hands on For Housing' initiative, set to take place from Nov. 6 to 8.
The first-of-its-kind, three-day conference at Grand River Raceway's GrandWay Event Centre in Elora, will engage over 150 youth from Wellington County in workshops on housing advocacy and hands-on building projects.
Karyn Boscariol, director of communications and resource development at Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington, said without urgent action, the future of housing is uncertain.
"With the housing crisis right now, youth question if they will ever be able to own a home. That's why we feel it's important to look into the future of housing. We need to engage youth now, so we can work on long term solutions," Boscariol said.
"They will then be equipped with different options, skills and knowledge to drive the current housing crisis in a new direction and hopefully out of the dark place that it's in right now."
Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington is dedicated to building affordable homes and promoting home ownership to ensure generational housing security.
'Hands on For Housing' aims to unite youth and skilled trades professionals to shape the future of housing by building awareness and providing real-world experiences that empower youth as housing advocates and skilled workers.
"It is difficult it is to find anything that is affordable. And also, we are losing 45,000 skilled trade workers in the next decade," Boscariol said.
"So, we think that housing advocacy, paired with a reignited love of skilled trades, will help us to advocate for and build affordable housing so that we can feel some positive momentum to bring into the future."
Over three days, youth will take part in building projects and delve into a curriculum that covers health and safety, carpentry skills, event planning, future finances, and housing awareness.
The event will conclude with a showcase celebration and auction on Nov. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. which will be open to the public. Attendees will hear from inspiring speakers and witness youth as they present their findings for future housing solutions.
Four Grade 12 carpentry classes from different high schools are set to take part.
"They will spend the three days building 8 x 8 backyard structures. They will be put into groups with team leaders from Habitat (For Humanity). In these groups, they will build and customize their own structures that will be up for auction to the public on the last day of the convention," Boscariol said.
The second group is a Grade 12 leadership program called Beyond Borders.
"They are going to do our housing advocacy work. They will create surveys for their youth and peers, and on the 8th, they will announce their recommendations for the future of housing based on the youth voice," Boscariol said.
"And lastly, a group a of interior design students from Bishop Macdonnell Catholic High School will tie in what Habitat for Humanity does with restoring, looking at sustainability in the future, and keeping items out of the landfill."
"They have come to our Restore and have taken a whole bunch of products, including second hand furniture. Back to their classroom, they will refurbish all of those products. They will actually set up all kinds of rooms that they've created with the furniture, which will also be up for auction," Boscariol said.
Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington has also partnered with Anishnabeg Outreach which will gather an all-women's build group to be led by a team from the Conestoga College Women and Skilled Trades Program.
"We have so many really incredible support sponsors in forms of local businesses, and we are especially grateful to Rona Guelph and Rona Elora for donating all of the raw materials to make the backyard structures," Boscariol said.
Opportunities for other businesses to get involved are still available.
For more information about 'Hands on For Housing' and for tickets, visit here.
"For us, it's a long term strategy. We hope to educate people on different models that we can use to provide affordable home ownership to everybody in our community. And that's something that Habitat has a really unique handle on," Boscariol said.
"I think we will grow this event year after year. I would love to see youth build tiny homes eventually. This will be a super fun event where they can showcase everything that they have learned and built."
