Coming Full Circle: Larissa Rodriguez and Abbey Ridge

Growing up in Glace Bay, Larissa Rodriguez saw firsthand how difficult life could be for young people without a safe, stable place to call home.

“I had a lot of close friends who experienced homelessness or came from traumatic backgrounds, and my house was almost like a safe house,” she recalls. “My parents were like the second mom and dad to a lot of my friends that didn’t have, unfortunately, stable housing or stable parents.”

Those experiences stayed with her.

After completing a Bachelor of Arts, Larissa began working in youth group homes in the Annapolis Valley. The experience inspired her to pursue both a Bachelor and Master of Social Work and build a career supporting young people experiencing homelessness and those involved in the child welfare system.

That career brought her back to Cape Breton, where she now serves as New Dawn’s Director of Youth and Family Care, overseeing Abbey Ridge, a supportive housing program for young people ages 16 to 24.

“It’s a full-circle moment to move away, gain the education and experience, and bring that back here to my hometown where our first supportive housing started,” she says.

More Than a Roof Over Your Head

Abbey Ridge opened its first home in Glace Bay in 2023, becoming the first supportive housing program for youth in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM). For young people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, it offers an opportunity to remain in their home communities rather than relocating elsewhere in Nova Scotia to find housing and support.

Today, Abbey Ridge operates two homes in Glace Bay, providing housing for 13 young people. A new seven-bed home opening in Sydney this fall will bring the program’s total capacity to 20.

Beyond providing a furnished bedroom, Abbey Ridge offers around-the-clock staff support and individualized guidance to help residents navigate everyday challenges, access community resources and build the foundations for independent living.

“When people think of housing, it’s usually a roof over your head, but housing is a lot more than that,” Larissa explains. “It’s providing safety, stability, and a sense of belonging, and that’s what I’ve seen through my work at Abbey Ridge, is when youth feel that sense of belonging, they can think about more than just survival.”

For many residents, the relationships they build with staff are just as important as the housing itself.

“A lot of our youth come from traumatic backgrounds, so they’ve never had that trusted adult in their lives,” she says. “Our staff build really strong relationships by being here day to day listening to the tears, supporting them through school, through their challenges, teaching them life skills so that they can transition to independent living in adulthood successfully.”

Larissa has seen the difference that consistent support can make, with young people returning to school after months or even years away, graduating from high school, and pursuing post-secondary education. Two Abbey Ridge residents graduated from Nova Scotia Community College this past year and are now working in their fields of study.

“It makes me feel proud, and not just proud because of what Abbey Ridge can do for them, but because they were able to do what they never thought was possible,” Larissa says.

Breaking the Cycle

For many young people, the transition to adulthood happens gradually, with parents or caregivers continuing to provide financial assistance, guidance, and somewhere to turn when things get tough.

For young people without that same family support, the path to independence can be more difficult. Those who grow up in government care, whether in foster homes or other care arrangements, often face that transition at 19, when they age out of care. Others experience homelessness at 16 or 17 and, without access to foster care or a stable family home, may be expected to live independently with government financial assistance. In both situations, young people can find themselves facing the responsibilities of adulthood without the support systems many of their peers rely on.

The consequences of housing instability and a lack of support can follow young people well into adulthood. Canada’s 2024 National Homelessness Count found that nearly one-third of people experiencing homelessness had previously been in government care. Locally, the CBRM homelessness count found that more than a quarter of respondents with a history of care experienced homelessness within the first year of leaving the system.

Homelessness makes it harder for young people to stay in school, find steady work and develop the skills and financial security needed to live independently. The absence of stable housing and trusted relationships can limit their opportunities to build a more secure future, increasing the risk of experiencing homelessness again as adults.

There is growing recognition that breaking that cycle means addressing more than the immediate need for shelter.

A recent national poll conducted by Abacus Data for the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness found that 76 percent of Canadians support supportive housing, while 84 percent believe homelessness can be meaningfully reduced. Only 34 percent believe governments are currently investing enough to address homelessness.

At Abbey Ridge, the focus is on helping young people build lasting stability. Through everyday support, trusted relationships with adults they can rely on, and opportunities to continue their education and build skills, residents are able to plan for what comes next and build their confidence to live independently, helping reduce the risk that housing instability will follow them into adulthood.

Growing to Meet the Need

As the need for supportive youth housing continues to grow in the CBRM, so does Abbey Ridge.

New Dawn’s two existing homes have remained consistently occupied, with a wait list of young people seeking housing. A new seven-bed home opening in Sydney this fall will bring the program’s total capacity to 20.

Still, demand far exceeds the available spaces.

“A lot of youth in the CBRM are experiencing homelessness, and they’re waiting for a bed that doesn’t exist,” Larissa says. “We get referrals all the time – we’ve probably received, on average, five referrals a day over the past month, and we don’t have five beds available. If we could open up four homes tomorrow, I could fill four homes tomorrow.”

The expansion will allow more young people to access housing and support while remaining close to their schools, communities, and existing relationships. But the demand also highlights the need for continued investment in housing and services that help young people begin to build lives of their own.

For Larissa, the importance of that work is reflected in the residents of Abbey Ridge who have begun to see new possibilities for themselves.

Growing up, she watched her parents open their home to friends who needed somewhere safe to turn. Today, she’s helping create that same sense of safety and belonging for young people across the CBRM.

Seeing residents return to school, find work, or move into homes of their own makes coming back to Cape Breton and doing this work in her hometown all the more meaningful.