A Proven Model for Preventing & Ending Black Youth Homelessness: The Bridge of Hope Program Model

 

Black youth continue to experience disproportionately high rates of homelessness and housing instability driven by systemic inequities and barriers. Addressing this crisis demands culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and evidence-based interventions designed to confront those inequities directly. The Bridge of Hope Program, developed and implemented by REST Centres, is one such proven program model. Through eviction prevention and management, landlord engagement, rental subsidies, and wraparound supports including intensive case management, the model works to stabilize housing and create sustained housing stability for Black youth in Toronto and Peel region. 

In this panel conversation, we explored how this proven program model is working to prevent and end Black youth homelessness in the Toronto and Peel regions, why this intervention is both critical and effective, and what practical steps other communities can take to begin implementing and scaling this model in their own contexts.

Who Should Watch 

Anyone working on or interested in preventing Black youth homelessness through evidence-based, equity-centered approaches, including: 

• Sector leaders & frontline workers
• Policymakers
• Funders
• Researchers
• Community advocates 

What You Will Learn 

• Systemic drivers of Black youth homelessness: What is driving disproportionately high rates of homelessness and housing instability for Black youth and why this demands urgent, targeted and proven program models like Bridge of Hope. 
• What the Bridge of Hope model is, how it works & why it’s effective: How the Bridge of Hope program model combines eviction prevention, landlord engagement, rental subsidies, and culturally responsive wraparound supports to stabilize housing and create sustained outcomes.
• Implementation pathways: How to implement or adapt the Bridge of Hope model in your own community
• How to advance Black youth homelessness prevention: Key actions leaders and organizations can take to prevent and end Black youth homelessness and move housing equity forward in their communities

PANELISTS

DAGMA KOYI is the Founder and Executive Director of REST Centres, a Black-led nonprofit dedicated to ending youth homelessness through culturally responsive housing and wraparound supports. Under her leadership, REST has grown into Peel Region’s only Black-serving housing organization, supporting hundreds of youth each year through prevention, shelter diversion, family reunification, and independent living programs.

With lived experience and over a decade of frontline and systems leadership, Dagma is known for building innovative, community-driven solutions that address both immediate housing needs and long-term stability. She regularly collaborates with governments, researchers, and sector partners to advance equitable funding and culturally informed approaches to youth homelessness.

LARA ADETUKASI is the Director of Programs and Services at REST Centres, a youth-focused organization in Ontario working to prevent and end homelessness. In this role, she leads the organization’s portfolio of housing stabilization, mental health, and clinical support services, overseeing a multidisciplinary team of social workers, psychotherapists, and case managers who deliver trauma-informed, wraparound care to highly vulnerable youth.

Lara brings over a decade of senior leadership experience in program management, health systems strengthening, and youth development across Canada and sub-Saharan Africa. She previously held senior roles with the Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation, Grassroot Soccer, and the Stephen Lewis Foundation, where she managed large-scale health and social programs, directed multi-country reproductive health initiatives, and forged strategic partnerships with governments, donors, and community organizations. A trained medical doctor, Lara is passionate about integrating health and housing support to improve long-term outcomes for marginalized populations. She has a proven track record of building innovative, evidence-based programs that strengthen community resilience, advance equity, and empower young people to thrive.

KURGEENA JOSEPH is a lived experience expert and a member of the REST Youth Council. Kurgeena is a Grenadian-born creative with a background in social work and youth advocacy. An alum of the Sanctuary Scholars Bridging Program, she blends her passion for writing and painting to explore identity and community. Through art and storytelling, she brings a thoughtful, expressive voice to youth leadership and inclusive dialogue. 

HOST

STEPHEN GAETZ is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at York University, in Toronto Canada.  He is the President of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and the Homeless Hub at York University. Dr. Gaetz works in collaboration with partners to conduct research and mobilize this knowledge so as to have a greater impact on solutions to homelessness, and in particular the prevention of homelessness. In 2017 Dr. Gaetz was awarded the Member of the Order of Canada.