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BYHES 2025 Program

Strengthening Equity: Developing a Resilient System to End Black Youth Homelessness

The 2025 Black Youth Housing Equity Summit, hosted by REST (Restoration and Empowerment for Social Transition) Centres in collaboration with national and regional partners, is a forum dedicated to addressing the disproportionate rates of homelessness and housing insecurity affecting Black youth. 

It convenes Black youth, service providers, policymakers, funders, and researchers to exchange knowledge, review effective practices, and develop strategies aimed at achieving equitable housing outcomes. The program includes sessions that feature youth voices, highlight the innovative works and models of Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-focused organizations, and consider policy and funding approaches that incorporate cultural responsiveness and long-term sustainability. 

DAY ONE

Thursday, November 20, 2025

Day One convenes Black youth, community leaders, researchers, funders, and policymakers to strengthen collective alignment toward housing justice. The day builds shared understanding, showcases data and lived experience, and sets a unified agenda for equitable housing systems for Black youth.

MORNING SESSION:
Solidarity and Alignment for Black Youth Housing Equity

  • Doors open and attendees may check in at the registration desk.

  • The Call
    A REST Centres Short Film | Inspired by True Stories

    When a young Black male ages out of foster care, his search for housing reveals an uphill battle shaped by systemic bias, racial discrimination, and survival. Inspired by true events, The Call is a gripping short film that captures one youth’s fight for dignity in a system that too often denies it. Produced in collaboration with Mohammad Anwerzada and REST youth.

  • Welcoming remarks and housekeeping items from co-hosts

  • In this keynote address, Dr. Jean Augustine draws on decades of leadership as a Member of Parliament and community activist to illustrate how policy reform, grassroots mobilization, and youth leadership can intersect to drive systemic change. Her stories of overcoming entrenched barriers show that advocacy is not an abstract idea but a set of concrete tools communities can use today.  Moving beyond recounting history to charting a bold future for Black youth in Canada, Dr. Augustine's address will provide inspiration for how to frame advocacy, influence decision-makers and position Black youth housing equity as a cornerstone of broader social justice work.

    Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine (PC, CM)
    Former MP & Social Justice Advocate

  • REST Youth Council Member Kurgeena Joseph presents her keynote address which will introduce the Youth Joint Statement on Black Youth Housing Equity and call on organizations and policymakers to recognize youth expertise and embed their leadership in program design and governance.

    Kurgeena Joseph
    Rep. REST Youth Council & Partner Agency Youth

  • Dr. Marie-Cécile Kotyk introduces a comprehensive framework for addressing anti-Black racism in housing and homelessness. Drawing on research and case studies, the presentation examines the generational impacts of discriminatory housing policies and their intersections with justice, health, and employment systems. Dr. Kotyk will provide practical guidance for adapting the framework to local jurisdictions.

    Dr. Marie-Cécile Kotyk
    B.H.Ecol, MCP, DDes.
    Assistant Professor/SAPL Design Justice Research Chair/Housing Consultant, School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture (SAPL), University of Calgary.

  • Enjoy a catered lunch and connect with other summit delegates.

AFTERNOON SESSION:
Awareness, Challenges & Funding Solutions

  • This panel sets the tone for BYHES 2025’s systems dialogue by exploring the real reasons why Black youth are overrepresented in homelessness — and what culturally responsive, community-rooted organizations are doing to disrupt that trend. The session moves beyond data and statistics toward questioning systems, accountability, and the true measure of impact.

    Moderator:

    • Danavan Samuels

    Panelists:

    • Tahirah Simmons, Manager of Community Housing, 360°kids

    • Grace Udodong, Executive Director, Oasis Youth Care Programs

    • Dr. Ben Bempah, Director of Operations, REST Centres

    • Stefany Hansen, Managing Director, CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals

    • Rita Asare, Executive Director, Black Action Defence Committee (BADC)

    • Dr. Vidal A. Chavannes, Senior Director of Community Safety, Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC)

  • In order to transform How We Fund Change, we need to move the conversation beyond addressing the immediate need for dollars for core operational funding, to how we might mobilize other forms of capital (e.g. political, social, human, digital) for more equitable solutions. We need to look more broadly at how we work to build the long-term ecosystems and relational infrastructures needed to address Black youth homelessness. This session will look at practical examples of how systems change has occurred to impact housing and homelessness and Black communities. Through the discussion participants will gain an understanding of practical ways in which individual organizations and collectives of actors can support the process of systems change.

    Moderator:

    • Rosemary Powell

    Panelists:

    • Adaoma Patterson, Director of Community Service Investments, United Way Greater Toronto

    • Aldeli Albán Reyna, Director of Grants and Community Initiatives at Laidlaw Foundation

    • Alex Tveit, Co-Founder & CEO, Sustainable Impact Foundation

    • amanuel melles, Executive Director, Network for the Advancement of Black Communities (NABC)

    • Maryam Mohiuddin Ahmed, Director Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation and Resilience

  • Closing remarks from co-hosts to wrap up Day 1.

DAY TWO

Friday, November 21, 2025

Day Two shifts from insight to action, focusing on translating research, policy, and community models into tangible strategies for system reform. Through youth-led discussions, practice-based learning, and collaborative policy framing, participants co-develop solutions that advance housing equity for Black youth across Canada.

MORNING SESSION:
From Framework to Action – Advancing Culturally Responsive Head Leasing Solutions

  • Doors open and attendees may check in at the registration desk.

  • The Card
    A REST Centres Short Film | Inspired by True Stories

    After losing their mother, three siblings find themselves navigating homelessness and each other in a world unprepared to catch them. The Card is a moving portrayal of loss, love, and resilience, inspired by real experiences of youth in our community. Developed with REST youth and guided by Mohammad Anwerzada, the film gives voice to the unseen and unheard.

  • Welcoming remarks and housekeeping items from co-hosts

  • This session presents two examples of Head Leasing model innovations currently working to address Black homelessness and shares perspectives on the legal and policy implications of the model.  The session will explore the key features, successes, and lessons learned through implementation of the model, and discuss gaps in implementation, particularly as they relate to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) and other relevant policies, and the importance of culturally-rooted design and community-led approaches.

    REST Centres will present its adaptable head leasing model, designed specifically for black youth housing, demonstrating how head leasing can provide stable housing pathways while promoting youth autonomy.

    The Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre will present the African-Canadian village housing model, offering a visionary approach to addressing Black youth homelessness and housing insecurity, through the presentation of a prototype village concept designed to meet the interconnected needs of housing, healing and inclusion.

    The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights will bring a policy lens to the conversation, highlighting how housing legislation and regulatory frameworks impact on equity-based leasing models and identifying policy opportunities to strengthen innovative leasing programs for youth.

    Iler Campbell LLC will share some insights on legal issues and residential tenancy matters within a head leasing model. 

    Moderator:

    • Dagma Koyi

    Speakers:

    • Kizito Musabimana, Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre

    • Lara Adetukasi, Director Programs and Services, REST Centres

    • Margaret Flynn, Canadian Centre for Housing Rights

    • Michael Hackl, Partner, Iler Campbell LLP

    After the presentations participants will have an opportunity to work in small groups, to first explore the pros and cons of the head leasing model, and then look to discuss policy and risk management considerations within the framework of the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) from the perspectives of landlords, tenants, service providers and funders/policy makers.

  • Led by Nene Kwasi Kafele (Tabono Institute), this extended workshop provides practical, culturally grounded tools for strength-based service delivery and staff capacity-building. Participants engage in interactive activities and leave with concrete trauma-informed practices they can implement immediately to support Black youth more effectively. 

    Facilitator: 

    • Nene Kwasi Kafele
      Founder, Tabono Institute; Community Scholar in Residence, YouthREX 

  • Enjoy a catered lunch and connect with other summit delegates.

AFTERNOON SESSION:
Youth Voices, Research Insights & Community Innovation in Practice

  • Focusing on upstream prevention and community support, this session will explore how family and natural support networks can interrupt pathways into homelessness for Black and BIPOC youth. It emphasizes the Family and Natural Supports (FNS) model and REST’s Family Intervention and Reunification Management (FIRM) program, which strengthen relationships with family, kin, and trusted adults to build stability and resilience. Participants will gain evidence-based strategies to integrate relational and culturally responsive prevention into their own initiatives.

    Speakers:

    • Dr. Stephen Gaetz, Professor, Faculty of Education, York University; President, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness & Homeless Hub; Co-Director, Making the Shift – Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab

    • Ranece Gordon Program Lead, REST Centres

    • Marjaan McDonald, Program Lead, RISE Above, REST Centres

  • A candid, youth-led conversation brings together REST Youth Council members and youth from partner agencies to share lived experiences and propose equitable housing solutions. With immediate policy windows and funding cycles demanding clear, youth-driven recommendations, participants will collaboratively develop a Youth Policy Brief in real time. Centering testimony and collective authorship, the session positions youth voice as both evidence and guidance for system change, informing policy, funding, and practice to advance access, safety, stability, and belonging.

    Moderator:

    • Jacqui Henry, Program Lead, REST Centres

    Speakers:

    • REST Youth Council Members and Partner Agency Youth Representatives 

  • REST leadership closes the Summit by synthesizing key insights from both days and outlining next steps for collective action. The session reaffirms commitments to youth leadership, policy reform, and long-term housing equity.

    Speakers:

    • Dagma Koyi
      Executive Director & Founder, REST Centres;

    • Justice Greggory Regis
      Summit Co-Chair

  • Closing acknowledgments from the REST Team followed by light refreshments and networking.

Keynote Speakers

  • P.C., C.M., O.Ont., C.B.E.
    Canada’s First Black Woman Member of Parliament
    Social Justice Advocate


    Honorable Dr. Jean Augustine is a trailblazing leader, educator, and advocate for equity who made history as the first Black woman elected to Canada’s Parliament and appointed to Cabinet. A lifelong champion for social justice, Dr. Augustine is widely recognized for her pivotal role in establishing Black History Month in Canada and advancing inclusive policies at every level of government. With decades of experience navigating and shaping Canadian political and social systems, she brings unparalleled credibility and vision to the fight for housing equity. At the Summit, Dr. Augustine’s keynote, “A Better Future for Black Youth: Building a Canada Where Black Youth Can Thrive,” will connect Canada’s historical treatment of Black communities with today’s housing challenges. Her message will inspire action by highlighting youth leadership, resilient advocacy, and policy frameworks that can transform housing outcomes for Black youth nationwide.

  • Assistant Professor, Design Justice Research Chair, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Calgary

    Dr. Marie Cecile Kotyk is a social planner, housing practitioner, and academic with over 15 years in public and non-profit sectors. She leads projects and research to confront spatial injustice and racial inequity in the built environment. At the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL), she is an Assistant Professor and Design Justice Research Chair. In this role, she founded the UDesign Justice Initiative (UDJI), a hub advancing equity-focused, community-led design by bringing marginalized voices into decisions. As a Doctor of Design scholar, she created Canada’s first Black Housing Equity Framework to address systemic anti-Black racism in housing policies and practices. This work has earned national and international recognition, winning her the 2023 Alberta Human Rights and Multiculturalism Scholarship (doctoral level). Cecile is the founder of Kotyk Consulting, advising governments and community organizations on equitable planning and community-led research. In 2025, she was featured among Avenue Calgary’s Visionaries for advancing design justice. Her teaching bridges research, policy, and practice.

  • Rep. REST Youth Council & Partner Agency Youth

    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.

Speakers & Panelists

  • Dr. Vidal A. Chavannes is the Senior Director of Community Safety at Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), where he leads strategic modernization of the Community Safety Unit and advances a balanced approach to safety that integrates enforcement, community engagement, and social development. His work focuses on strengthening tenant trust, enhancing organizational accountability, and aligning community safety efforts with the City's larger well-being strategies. 

    With more than two decades of experience across policing, public safety, education, and organizational strategy, Dr. Chavannes brings deep expertise in research, analytics, performance measurement, and systems-level change. Prior to joining TCHC, he served as Director of Strategy, Research & Organizational Performance at the Durham Regional Police Service. 

    Dr. Chavannes has held roles in secondary, post-secondary, and vocational education, alongside extensive consulting across public, private, and non-profit sectors. He previous

  • Tahirah Simmons serves as Manager of Community Housing at 360°kids, leading day-to-day operations of their housing programs aimed at supporting youth in unstable or precarious housing. With over 15 years of frontline experience, she combines expertise as a trauma-informed Child, Youth, and Family Therapist with strong skills in crisis intervention, case management, conflict resolution, and group facilitation. Tahirah has helped youth and families move toward stability through therapeutic approaches and supports empowering clients in self-care and mental health. Her leadership includes adapting innovative practices and facilitating collaborations across the service sector to ensure culturally responsive housing supports. She is joining the panel “Demonstrating Overrepresentation & Innovations to Address Black Youth Homelessness” at BYHES 2025, where she will contribute insights on evidence, service innovation, and practice strategies  

  • Executive Director, Toronto Community Benefits Network

    Rosemarie Powell is the Executive Director of the Toronto Community Benefits Network and President of Big on Green. A recognized leader in sustainable and inclusive development, she has championed green building practices, low-carbon construction, and workforce pathways that align climate action with community prosperity. With over 20 years of experience advancing social, economic, and environmental justice, Rosemarie has forged cross-sector partnerships to embed sustainability and equity into major infrastructure projects. Her leadership helped shape Ontario’s first Community Benefits Framework, setting a precedent for inclusive, low-carbon growth across the construction industry. 

  • Managing Director of the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals,

    Stefany Hanson is a policy leader and anti-Black racism specialist with over 18 years of experience advancing equity for marginalized communities. With a background in Political Science and Public Administration, she has held key roles across government, philanthropy, and the social impact sector, including stewarding the $42M Youth Challenge Fund to expand opportunities for Black youth. Stefany is recognized for driving systems change and strengthening pathways to economic and social well-being.

  • Grace Udodong (CYW, M.Ed.) is the Executive Director of Oasis Youth Care Programs, Halton’s only Black-led and Black-serving youth housing program. With over 20 years of experience working with vulnerable and at-risk youth, she is a passionate advocate committed to shifting youth care from welfare to empowerment. Grace is the visionary behind the innovative HEM (Housing, Empowerment, Mentoring) Model, which interrupts cycles of poverty by fostering culturally responsive, human-centered, and sustainable supports. A certified Life Coach and commissioned Biblical Counsellor, she also directs Havilah: A Hub to Access Counselling, Coaching and Consulting. Grace has established and managed a 10-bed transitional housing program, supervised and trained youth leaders, and authored the memoir Valley of Beautiful Whispers. Living in Ontario with her two teenage children, she continues to inspire through her leadership, writing, and commitment to building systems where all youth can thrive.  

  • Dr. Bempah is a strategic leader dedicated to eliminating BIPOC youth homelessness by creating pathways to independent living and sustainable growth. With over fifteen years of experience in public administration and development planning, he has led impactful initiatives in health system strengthening, community development, and poverty reduction. As the Operations Director at REST Centres, Dr. Bempah applies a strategic lens to organizational development, program design, and cross-sector collaboration. He specializes in guiding non-governmental organizations to craft effective grant proposals, build strategic frameworks, and implement solutions that drive measurable change. His expertise spans program monitoring and evaluation, financial management, statistical analysis, and sustainable development planning. A forward-thinking strategist, Dr. Bempah is committed to building systems and partnerships that tackle the root causes of homelessness and support long-term community resilience.  

  • Director, Community Services Investments, Community Impact and Mobilization, United Way Greater Toronto 

    Adaoma Patterson was born and raised in Winnipeg, except for six years that her family spent in Jamaica. Adaoma has more than 25 years of progressive experience in the not-for-profit and public sectors, has served in several roles as a volunteer and employee and recently completed a Masters of Arts in Leadership from the School of Business & Economics at the University of Guelph. In 2022, Adaoma joined the United Way Greater Toronto as Director of Community Service Investments, responsible for ensuring their investments support a strong network of more than 300 agencies in the Greater Toronto Area who play an important role in the region’s social safety net. She has extensive knowledge of the nonprofit sector, having supported numerous strategic planning processes, and worked collaboratively to identify public policies and implement programs that positively impact vulnerable residents and communities.Adaoma has served on several boards including Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement  and the Jamaican Canadian Association. She currently serves on the Equity Diversity Inclusion & Communities Committee of School of Medicine Planning Team at Toronto Metropolitan University. In addition, Adaoma was the lead for a research project that is exploring how the establishment of a Black led financial institution can impact economic empowerment and sustainable community development and address systemic barriers for Black communities.

  • Founder of Roots of Empowerment,Creative Director and Founder of African Royalty,

    Efia Tekyi-Annan is a community development leader, anti-Black racism advocate, and cultural educator with over a decade of experience in equity, youth empowerment, and culturally grounded programming. She is the Founder of Roots of Empowerment, supporting Black youth in reclaiming identity and belonging, and the Creative Director of African Royalty, a cultural brand celebrating African heritage. As a Community Development Officer with the City of Toronto’s TO Wards Peace team, she strengthens community capacity and culturally informed interventions. At the Summit, Efia brings her expertise in identity, culture, and community-building to the Capacity Building session.

  • Ranece Gordon is a Registered Social Worker dedicated to strengthening the capacity of children and families through creative, relationship-centred care. At REST Centres, Ranece re-established the Family Intervention & Reunification Management program to prevent Black youth homelessness by addressing family breakdown. With a team of social workers, the program now hosts youth, parent and family workshops and sessions to address the issues Black youth and families experience during therapeutic intervention. In addition to homelessness prevention, Ranece works in private practice with a focus on supporting children with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and other neurodevelopmental and emotional and social needs. In both areas, she helps young people and their caregivers deepen their understanding of themselves and each other. Blending play-based approaches, attachment-focused strategies, and behaviour therapy, she prioritizes innovation and culturally attuned practice—bringing a fresh and engaging feel to therapeutic support.

     

  • Danavan Samuels is a seasoned systems navigator and strategic thinker with more than three decades of experience spanning government, non-profit, housing, and grassroots community organizations. A proud resident of the Black Creek CHC community, he has held leadership roles with United Way, Community Housing, North York Community House, and Eva’s Initiatives. Most recently, as Manager of the federal Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI), Danavan worked to strengthen the national ecosystem of Black-led non-profits by building capacity and creating sustainable funding mechanisms. He has consistently advocated for equity-seeking populations, particularly in the areas of housing, health, and community wellbeing. At the Black Youth Housing Equity Summit 2025, Danavan will moderate the panel Demonstrating Overrepresentation and Innovations to Address Black Youth Homelessness, guiding discussion on data, lived experience, and culturally responsive models. A proud father of five, he is deeply committed to equity, resilience, and community leadership.  

  • Executive Director of NABC at York University and Principal of Aman Consulting

    aman brings over 25 years of senior leadership spanning settlement and immigration, community health, philanthropy, and peacebuilding. At United Way Toronto, he built the Organizational Capacity Building Unit, leading innovative programs that strengthened non-profit capacity, leadership, and equitable funding strategies expertise vital to the summit’s focus on sustainable financing for Black youth housing. Aman’s experience includes senior roles with OCASI, Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre, and Family Service Toronto. He serves on the boards of the Social Innovation Institute, InterChange Institute, and Institute for Change Leaders, chairs the Peace Leadership group of the International Leadership Association, and was appointed to Toronto’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Partnership & Accountability Circle. Recipient of the Jane Jacobs Prize, New Pioneers Award, and African Canadian Leadership Award, aman bridges community needs with institutional systems to advance equity and systemic change.

Check out the full program and speaker list

  • Executive Director  
    Black Action Defence Committee(BADC) 

    Rita Asare is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in youth and adult homelessness, housing programs, and equity-focused community development. Drawing from her own lived experience as a newcomer and formerly homeless youth, she has championed culturally grounded, anti-racism initiatives within Black communities across Toronto. Rita previously led the opening of Canada’s first Africentric Youth Housing program at Eva’s Initiatives and has held senior roles at YouthLink. She now serves as Executive Director of the Black Action Defense Committee and leads Rita Asare Consulting Services, supporting agencies in housing strategy and training. She is a dedicated advocate and proud mother of four.  

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the original stewards of the various lands we are on. We also acknowledge our Ancestors. We acknowledge all those who toiled without compassion or compensation. We acknowledge all the Elders and community stalwarts whose shoulders we stand on as we build, share and learn together for our collective liberation and sovereignty.